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View Full Version : Vatican Gets Around to Praising the Beatles



Bandito
16th April 2010, 07:12
At a time when the Vatican could use a little positive notice in the news media, the Holy See has momentarily turned attention away from the helter skelter it has lately faced by offering its enthusiastic praise for the Beatles. In its weekend editions, LOsservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican, commemorated the Beatles on the 40th anniversary of that groups breakup, and endorsed the Fab Fours music without quite giving a thumbs-up to the band members lifestyles, The Associated Press reported. Its true, they took drugs; swept up by their success, they lived dissolute and uninhibited lives, LOsservatore Romano wrote. But, the newspaper added, listening to their songs, all of this seems distant and meaningless. Their beautiful melodies, which changed forever pop music and still give us emotions, live on like precious jewels. Giovanni Maria Vian, the editor in chief of LOsservatore Romano, told The A.P. that he is a fan of the Beatles, and he minimized John Lennons notorious 1966 remark that the band at that time was more popular than Jesus. In reality it wasnt that scandalous, Mr. Vian said, because the fascination with Jesus was so great that it attracted these new heroes of the time.
This, comrades, is called passivization of rock and roll.
Someone can hope that this is a sign of Catholic church to finally get a grip of modern stuff, as usually, very late, like they did with Galileo and lately, evolution, but this is not that, at least not in my opinion.
This is called putting rebellion into a vintage drawer. Yes, rock bands are still rocking, but the thing that lacks is that essential part f it, which is called "fuck you" part that catches on the masses like a sticker. It's not that odd that someone who stated "Bigger than Jesus" is not Vatican's favorite. Well, at least they didn't include Bob Dylan or The Clash as "appropriate".This Vatican move turns all that into the past, making rock and roll fit to the system, but the main message of that music was completely different. And it's not a typo when i say was.

Invincible Summer
16th April 2010, 07:19
I'm not sure I agree with you... I mean rock music is pretty mainstream nowadays. The Beatles are hardly considered rebellious or anything of that sort. I don't see how the Vatican putting their label of approval on anything de-values it or strips it of its meaning.

The Vatican is like a corporation, or even a political party. They will have a "line" on a certain topic, doesn't mean it's 100% right or wrong necessarily, but it's their take on things.

And because they're so late in the game on this, I don't think it has any effect on the music. If anything, it shows how the perception of "counterculture" or "rebelliousness" changes with the era.

I suppose one could also make an argument about the cultural appropriation of "rebelliousness" into the mainstream. But, again, the Vatican is so behind that I don't think their opinion changes anything.