Pope Benedict XVI's chief exorcist, Rev. Gabriele Amorth, has called fictional wizard-in-training Harry Potter the "king of darkness, the devil."
Amorth, who is also the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said the series contains many positive references to "the satanic art" of magic and makes no distinction between black and white magic.
Amorth compared the Potter character to dictators Stalin and Hitler, saying they were possessed by the devil.
"You can tell by their behavior and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons," said Amorth, who has reportedly performed 30,000 exorcisms.
Full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/09/03/harrypotter-exorcist-pope.html
And here I thought Harry Potter is a fictional character.
_________________
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
- Billy Joel, Only The Good Die Young