Among the things the Vatican approves of: piety, penitence, “The Simpsons.” Among the things it does not endorse: sinfulness and “Avatar.” Both the Vatican newspaper and radio station have criticized that James Cameron film, calling it emotionally unengaging and saying that it tries to replace divinity with nature, The Associated Press reported. The newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, wrote that “Avatar,” which stars Sam Worthington, right, “gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature,” according to The A.P. Vatican Radio said the movie “cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium,” adding, “Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship.” L’Osservatore wrote that for all of the “stupefying, enchanting technology” in the movie, it offers “few genuine emotions.” But both outlets agreed, as L’Osservatore wrote, that the true accomplishment of “Avatar” was its “extraordinary visual impact.” The film is to be released in Italy on Friday.