Baltimore, Md., Nov 19, 2010 / 11:36 am
Americans around the country will be flocking to see the latest Harry Potter movie this weekend, and some Catholics maintain that the series exposes children to evil influences. But Bishop Thomas Paprocki said in a recent interview that the root cause of dabbling in the occult comes from being isolated from the faith.
Bishop Paprocki spoke with CNA on Nov. 16 after a recent exorcism training that was held in Baltimore, ahead of the annual U.S. bishops' fall assembly. The Conference on the Liturgical and Pastoral Practice of Exorcism took place Nov. 12-13.
According to the Springfield, Ill. bishop, who chairs the Bishop's Committee on Canonical Affairs, the program came about after an increasing number of inquiries from priests in the U.S. The conference was attended by more than 100 bishops and priests.
In the interview, Bishop Paprocki took time to address the idea that popular books and movies aimed at children and teens, such as the boy-wizard Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga on vampires, have encouraged interest in the occult.