Scottish Catholic Observer

“The atmosphere of the last few episodes, which had become increasingly dark and ominous, reaches its pinnacle,” said one of two reviews of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 printed in the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

“Death, which was a rare occurrence (in the previous Harry Potter films) is the protagonist here,” which is one reason the film may not be appropriate for everyone, reviewer Gaetano Vallini said, however. “As for the content, evil is never presented as fascinating or attractive in the saga, but the values of friendship and of sacrifice are highlighted. In a unique and long story of formation, through painful passages of dealing with death and loss, the hero and his companions mature from the lightheartedness of infancy to the complex reality of adulthood.”

In the second review, Antonio Carriero reaffirmed one point Vatican reviewers have made since the Scottish author JK Rowlings’s Harry Potter books first appeared in Italian: The story captured the imagination of millions of children and got them reading books.

He added that the saga championed values that Christians and non-Christians share and provided opportunities for Christian parents to talk to their children about how those values are presented in the Bible.

Potter’s archenemy, Lord Voldemort, ‘does not represent Satan, as it would be easy to think, but is a man who has made bad choices in his life,” Mr Carriero said.

He added that Voldemort is like many modern men and women who think they can do without God and without others, they do not believe in heaven, and yet they are the most frightened of dying.

“Eternal life is reached through death, not without it,” he wrote. “And Harry Potter, although he never declared himself a Christian, calls on the dark magician to mend his ways, repent for what he has done and recognise the primacy of love over everything so he will not be damned for eternity.”

The Deathly Hallows demonstrates that ‘from the pure of heart like the young Harry, ready to die for his friends,’ come big lessons, he said.