The controversial “Harry Potter ecuménical service” held in a German church finally took place on February 28, despite the criticisms and the signature campaign driven by faithful who demanded the event be canceled.
According to the St. Dionysius-Herne parish, the event was held in the Sacred Heart Church (Herz-Jesu) in the German city of Herne, where for several days the temple was transformed into an “experiential church” inspired by the universe of J. K. Rowling’s literary saga.
An event that had already sparked controversy
The announcement of the event generated controversy weeks before its celebration. It was planned as a “Word ecuménical service” inspired by Harry Potter, with explicit references to the imagery of the popular fiction saga.
Various faithful and Catholic associations criticized the use of a consecrated temple for a thematic activity linked to a work of fiction with magical elements, considered incompatible with the sacred character of the place.
Read also: More than 500 complaints sent against the Harry Potter «ecuménical service» in Germany
The opposition materialized in a public campaign driven by the group Christkönigtum, which promoted the sending of messages to ecclesiastical authorities requesting the cancellation of the event. According to the campaign organizers, more than 500 communications were sent to diocesan officials expressing concern about the event.
Despite the protests, the activity was not suspended.
A church converted into a thematic space
According to the parish’s account, for the event the interior of the temple was modified for three days: pews were moved, decorative elements were installed, and an ambiance inspired by the narrative universe of Harry Potter was prepared.
On February 28 hundreds of people attended the church, where they found special lighting, music, participatory activities, and visual references to the literary saga before the start of the religious service.
Readings from the saga during the service
The ecuménical service began at 6:00 p.m..
During the celebration, the actress Inga Stück read an excerpt from the third volume of the Harry Potter series, while the Protestant pastors Melanie Jansen and Katja Lueg, along with the pastoral agent Bettina Aust (Catholic) proposed reflections that related the literary motifs of the work to texts from Sacred Scripture.
The celebration also included the performance of melodies from the Harry Potter movies by the chamber orchestra of the Haranni evangelical community.
The organizers proudly presented the initiative as an attempt to use references from popular culture to bring the Christian message closer to people distant from the Church.
