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The ultra-popular Harry Potter book series has been removed from a school library in Tennessee because of a reason that defies any and all logic.
Reverend Dan Reehill of St. Edward Catholic School in Nashville has banned JK Rowling’s books because they contain “actual” curses and spells. No, he was not kidding.
“These books present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception. The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text,” Reehil wrote in an email, reports Tennessean.com.
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But wait… there’s more.
Reehil also added in the email that he consulted with several exorcists in the United States, as well as in Rome, and they recommended removing the books from the school’s library.
Rebecca Hammel, the superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, confirmed Reehil did in fact send out an email and notified faculty about removing the Harry Potter books, which as pastor of the parish school gives him that authority, following an inquiry from a parent.
“Each pastor has canonical authority to make such decisions for his parish school. He’s well within his authority to act in that manner,” said Hammel.
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Hammel did say that if parents of students enrolled at St. Edward still want to allow their kids to read the Harry Potter books, they would allow it.
“Should parents deem that this or any other media to be appropriate we would hope that they would just guide their sons and daughters to understand the content through the lens of our faith,” said Hammel. “We really don’t get into censorship in such selections other than making sure that what we put in our school libraries is age appropriate materials for our classrooms.”
The Catholic Church reportedly does not have an official position on the Harry Potter novels, because why would they, and Hammel said she believes the books are still in other school libraries in their diocese, because of course they are.
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