Bishop Listecki warns against "The Golden Compass"

Bishop Jerome Listecki of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin is instructing his priests to warn parents about Philip Pullman's books and "The Golden Compass" movie (ht: LifeSite). He writes:

Instead of using fantasy to lead people to truth and to God, this trilogy tries to lead them away from God. The author of the books, a self-proclaimed atheist named Philip Pullman, has been quoted as saying that he sees Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake." He has said, "I don't think it's possible that there is a God" and, most unashamedly "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief' "my books are about killing God" and "I am all for the death of God."

Hollywood is aware that a clearly anti-Christian movie will not do well at the box office, so it has tried to clean up the more obvious anti-Christian elements from The Golden Compass. But good fruit does not come from a bad tree. Despite the engaging special effects and famous actors involved, it is clear that this movie is the first part of a trilogy that expresses hatred of Christianity and that portrays God, the Church and religion as evil and oppressive and urges children to join fallen angels in a rebellion against God. This turns upside-down the truth that God is love and that through the graces found in His family, the Church, He desires that we live with Him in eternal happiness.

I hope that you will avoid The Golden Compass and continue to support movies and books that edify, such as Bella and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, rather than those works that present evil as good and good as evil. Movie goers, especially children, love to go back and forth between movies and the books on which the movies are based - with the "Narnia Chronicles" that is wonderful; with The Golden Compass it would be a dangerous mistake.

The letter is on the Diocese of La Crosse website in PDF format, along with a  "Warning from the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization" (PDF) and a copy of the ZENIT interview (PDF) with Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel.

Comments

[Mark Brumley]

Bravo, Bishop Listecki. Not only did you warn folks about THE GOLDEN COMPASS, you encouraged them to support good films. And you pointed out one of the problems with the film, even if its anti-God, anti-Christian, anti-Catholic message is muted: the fact that it is a two-hour commercial for the books.

Thanks for taking a stand.

[Elizabeth Carlos]

Thank you for speaking up, Bishop Listecki. It's good to see you speaking out on behalf of the Church and Christ, since I last saw you at St. Joe's in Wilmette. God bless you, Elizabeth with Family

[Colin Walls]

Presumably the good bishop would also prefer children to go see Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" instead.

The church can no longer justify an Index Librorum Prohibitorum, but it doesn't seem to stop it trying to achieve the same end informally. I note that Pullman's books have been removed from library shelves in Catholic schools in Canada.

[Josh]

Hi, I am catholic and have read the golden compass and the other two books in the trilegy. my email is [email protected] . First keep in mind that this is a work of fiction--the books. second, the church in pullman's books is not our church and it is not even our universe. and the god in pullman's trilegy is not God, it's an imposter. This book teaches christians and catholics an important lesson to be wary of the devil and other evils that can make themselves look good and twist truths to act or pretend to be God when in fact they are not. If you read the books and realise the reality from which the characters are coming from you'll also realise that the fictional universe is definitely not our own and the God they are killing is not the christian God.