The Roman Catholic Church has praised the latest installment of the Harry Potter franchise - for highlighting the "sacrifice" needed for good to triumph over evil.

The Vatican's own newspaper L'Osservatore Romano lauded Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, insisting it is the best adaptation of J.K. Rowling's hugely successful books so far. And it even insisted the teenage love scenes - with the main characters all kissing in the film - achieved the "correct balance" in creating a credible story for the audience.

The Vatican added that the movie was positive as it showed that to overcome evil, it "sometimes requires costs and sacrifice."

However, the paper doesn't always offer up such kingly reviews of blockbusters - the publication slammed Tom Hanks' Angels and Demons in May, insisting the Vatican could "not approve" the religious-themed movie.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)