pokemon QUESTION from Lori August 21, 2001 I would like to know if the Catholic Church has taken a stand either for or against the childhood fad Pokemon - the cards, movie, cartoons and game boy. I am concerned about my son's apparent addiction to this theme. I would truly appreciate an answer - we just got a computer and I've been searching for days for an answer.
Thank you for your time. May God bless you. Lori
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on August 19, 2001 Dear Mrs. Lori:
The Church has not taken an official stand on Pokemon or on any other game that I am aware of. It is not possible for the Church to take official stands on all the things that come out. If it did, they would get nothing else done, since the items that Catholic should be warned about amount to the tens of thousands each year.
Rather, the Church teaches us certain principles to live by. These principles give us the framework by which we can make decisions about things that the Church has not specifially ruled upon. This is just like we do with our children. We cannot make every decision for our children. Thus we teach them the principles by which they can successfully make their own decisions. The Church does the same with us.
Based upon those principles Pokemon represents a form of entertainment that is contrary to the Catholic Worldview, is psychologically dangerous as to its addictive and suggestive power, and includes an occultic worldview within the game that cannot be reconciled with prudence of living a Christian life.
Thus, I would advise against this game.
We have just uploaded an article that details some of the issues about Pokemon. The article is entitled: How POKEMON and Magic Cards Affect the Minds and Values of Children
God Bless
Back to Index Page