A pastor at the Nashville School removes Harry Potter books that claim to "risk raising evil spirits



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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) – Parents voiced their concern in an anonymous letter after the pastor of St. Edward School withdrew the Harry Potter book series from the school library, notably because of the fact that he was not allowed. they glorified the acts of conspiracy of dead and wicked spirits.

According to the parents, it was until one of the parents asked about the removal of the books that Father Dan Reehil, pastor of St. Edward Church and School, sent an e-mail reply explaining his reasoning .

His email said in part:

"These books present both good and bad magic, which is false, but in reality an ingenious illusion.The curses and spells used in these books are true curses and spells, presence of the person reading the text. I have consulted several exorcists, both in the United States and in Rome, and they recommended removing the books from circulation. "

Lily

Father Reehil's email here

.

The initial story of the removal of books has attracted the attention of national media and social media users.

A group of worried parents reacted to the decision

an anonymous letter

saying that they are concerned about the pastor's decision but not surprised. In the letter, they explain that it was not p. First decision or controversial action of Reehil.

In fact, a group of parents has already met with representatives of the Diocese of Nashville on three occasions since the fall of 2017 about the pastor's teaching methods and the following questions:

  • The psychological, emotional and spiritual abuse of school children by his messages inside and outside the church, including in the confessional, led the children to seek the help of a professional. This includes, but is not limited to, public assertions at School Mass that Lady Gaga has entered into a pact with the devil for fame and suffers from fibromyalgia as a result.
  • Intimidation of students, teachers and parents who do not share his point of view
  • Irresponsible administration of the school, resulting in a drop in enrollments and a massive departure of long-term teachers

According to school principal Rebecca Hammel, who responded to parents in an email, the books were never part of the school curriculum "and were made available to the school library only to enrich reading" .

Hammel explained that a local librarianship professional had been asked to help organize and purge library materials as they move into a new space. They recommended removing some books because of their age and poor circulation. It was then that Father Reehil made his decision to pull the books.

Hammel said that students can still read books while they are at school, but they will simply not be provided at the school library.

"While the Catholic Church has not expressed any official position on books and related movies, many voices in the church, even at higher levels, have stated that the subject may be If you take proper account of the reader's maturity, leave these decisions to you as the primary educator of your children, "Hammel said in the e-mail.

She also addressed discussions on "disruptions" planned at school on Tuesday, saying that a security team would be present at the school and that "standard protocols will be in place".

The complete email of Hammel:

Dear parents of Saint Edward School,
During the Labor Day weekend, local media published an article on the removal of Harry Potter books from the St. Edward School Library. This story has garnered interest from the news media nationally and internationally and has attracted some attention on social media.

In order to keep the school community informed, I propose the following points. As part of the reconfiguration of the building this summer, a local librarianship professional was invited to help organize and purge the library materials to be transferred to the new space. She recommended the removal of some books for reasons of age and several other materials due to poor circulation.

During this process and out of caution, p. Reehil, acting as a pastor, discerned that the Harry Potter series was not appropriate for the library for various reasons and chose not to include them in the new space.

The books have never been part of the program and have been made available to the school library only to enrich the reading. Students who obtain books from other sources can still read them at school; the school library will not simply offer them as part of its selection.

Over the years, this series has drawn attention to its presentation of magic and witchcraft. While the Catholic Church has not expressed an official position on books and related films, many voices in the Church, even at higher levels, have stated that the subject might be appropriate if it is duly taken into account the maturity of the reader. We leave you these decisions as the primary educator of your children.

A few of you have expressed concern about the disruption of the school day tomorrow. Be aware that our standard protocols will be in place: the security team will be present as usual and access to the building will be restricted by the ringing / answering system. In the absence of Dr. Wharton, I will be here. Plans are in place to manage any media or guest presence on campus. Neither will have access to speaking or recording students at St. Edward's School. Dr. Wharton will return on Wednesday.

We regret that this decision, although taken in the interest of the well-being of our students, has brought an answer that has attracted unwanted attention to the school. My office, the Diocese of Nashville and school administrators remain committed to advancing the school in its new structure.

thank you,
Rebecca Hammel Superintendent of Schools

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