Harry Potter books burned by Polish priests alarmed by magic

In March 2019, Catholic priests in Gdańsk, Poland, conducted a public burning of books they deemed sacrilegious, notably including J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

Organized by the SMS from Heaven Foundation, the event also saw the incineration of items like an elephant figurine and a tribal mask.

The group cited biblical passages condemning magic as justification for the bonfire.

The Church has huge influence in Polish society. But the month prior, it had released a report documenting sexual abuse of children by nearly 400 Polish priests between 1990 and 2018.

The book burning drew significant criticism, with many drawing parallels to historical instances of censorship and intolerance, such as the Nazi book burnings.

One critic said: "I have not met anyone yet who would rape, murder and steal in the name of Harry Potter. In the name of the Bible, yes. Bad news, gentlemen!"

Another quoted the German poet Heinrich Heine, who wrote in 1823: "Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned."

The Heine quote is seen as prophetic, because the Nazis made a great show of burning so-called "decadent" books in the 1930s. They included works by Jewish writers - and soon the Nazis did burn Jewish victims of their racist ideology.

In response to the backlash, Father Rafał Jarosiewicz, who led the event, issued an apology, stating that the ritual was not intended to target specific authors, religions, or social groups.

He acknowledged that the act was “unfortunate” and expressed regret if it offended anyone. 

The incident sparked a broader debate about the role of religious institutions in censoring literature and the potential implications for freedom of expression.

It also highlighted the ongoing tensions within Poland regarding traditional Catholic values and contemporary cultural works.