Let it be: Vatican forgives Beatles for Lennon's 'more popular than Jesus' claim

By Mail Foreign Service
22nd November 2008

The Beatles have finally been forgiven by the Vatican for suggesting they were more popular than Jesus.
John Lennon's infamous claim in March 1966 that the Fab Four surpassed Christ in the popularity stakes caused an uproar at the time, with some conservative Christians burning Beatles albums. The band also received death threats.

But today the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, which reflects opinion at the very top of the Roman Catholic Church, marks the 40th anniversary of the 'White Album' by dismissing as a 'quip' Lennon's remark - and it goes on to pour praise on the band.

It says the legendary double album - which came out on November 22, 1968 at the height of the Fab Four's influence and popularity - was 'a magical musical anthology' from a band 'full of talent'.
And it says: '(Lennon's) phrase provoked deep indignation at the time, but sounds today like a quip from a young man from the English working class overtaken by unexpected success.'
The real talent of the Beatles, it said, 'rested in their unequalled capacity to write popular songs with a sort of euphoric lightness that constituted a genuine trademark'.

'Today,' it went on to lament, 'recordings seem above all to be standardised and stereotyped - falling well short of the creativity of the Beatles.'

'The talent of Lennon and the other Beatles gave us some of the best pages in modern pop music.'
Only 'snobs', it said, would dismiss the Beatles' songs, which had shown 'an extraordinary resistance to the effects of time, providing inspiration for several generations of pop musicians'.

Lennon had told a reporter from the London Evening Standard in 1966: 'Christianity will go.
'It will vanish and shrink. We're more popular than Jesus now - I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me.'

Later Lennon tried to explain his comment in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1969.

'It’s just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ.

'Now I wasn’t saying that was a good idea because I’m one of Christ’s biggest fans,' he said. 'And if I can turn the focus of the Beatles on to Christ’s message, then that’s what we’re here to do.'
He said: 'If the Beatles get on the side of Christ, which they always were, and let people know that, then maybe the churches won’t be full, but there’ll be a lot of Christians dancing in the dance halls.'
He said he did not have a notion of a 'physical heaven,' adding that 'the kingdom of heaven is within you, Christ said, and I believe that.'

The interview was given the year Lennon quit the Beatles and embarked on a solo career that ended with his death in 1980 when he was shot by Mark Chapman in New York.

The Vatican newspaper has been trying to shed its stuffy image recently and in July it made its peace with Elvis.

It recalled the the once-outlawed pelvis-twister as a 'nice, sensitive young man' who was doomed by fame.

i never paid much attention to this statement when it was first aired, but being almost 47 now, i think, what a ridiculous thing to say.  the beatles were good, but they weren't that good.


:pullanolte

" the beatles were good, but they weren't that good.  "


WHAT ?! .. !!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw9oX-kZ_9k


http://www.grioo.com/images/rubriques/7/1005.jpg !!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw9oX-kZ_9k

wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2008 at 5:06pm:

i never paid much attention to this statement when it was first aired, but being almost 47 now, i think, what a ridiculous thing to say.  the beatles were good, but they weren't that good. :pullanolte

And the whole statement was completely blown out of proportion. Lennon was being sarcastic and was referring to the hype surrounding the Beatles. He never really meant that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.But over the years that's all people remember.

sweetcharmedlife wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2008 at 5:23pm:

wrote on Nov 22nd, 2008 at 5:06pm: i never paid much attention to this statement when it was first aired, but being almost 47 now, i think, what a ridiculous thing to say.  the beatles were good, but they weren't that good. :pullanolte And the whole statement was completely blown out of proportion. Lennon wa sbeing sarcastic and was referring to the hype surrounding the Beatles. He never really meant that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.But over the years that's all people remember.

i'm not so sure about that...most people take jesus pretty seriously, especially this time of year.

:pullanolte

I think Lennon’s statement was misinterpreted. I don’t think he meant they were bigger than Jesus in the literal sense. It was really a comment to emphasise just how huge the Beatles had become.

It’s like saying: “That woman’s as big as a bus” You know it can’t be true, but you’re just emphasising the point that she could drop a few pounds.

the real question is whether the Mormons have targeted him for post-life baptism!

only 42 years thats quick!!!!

If he said we are more popular than mickey mouse, would it have been a big deal? Needed to be forgiven? The idiocy of religious, that not only did people freak out and take the comment out of context, now the catholic church forgives him. I hope they are sorry for having sex with children too... what about all the other christian denominations, have they forgiven? You know what this really is? It is a dying religions attempt to get some attention, by acting like they forgive somebody, who didn't do anything!!!
Jesus... save us from your followers, they are really weird and annoying!

The Vatican may forgive.

I fucking dont!

Die Beatles, die!

may Mr. Chapman visit your loved ones

All very well, but can they ever forgive McCartney for releasing "Ebony & Ivory" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" ?

Who gives a shit about what a bunch of kid diddling old farts in Italy have to say about this.

Gazza wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 6:41am:

All very well, but can they ever forgive McCartney for releasing "Ebony & Ivory" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" ?

LOL  ;D ;D ;D :aimama

Only God himself can do it, his mercy is infinit

Lennon was right, he didn't say we're more important the Jesus, saying "We're more popular than Jesus" was true, the people all over the world was talking more about the Beatles than about Jesus, also remember the Beatles were popular in the far east were we have a BIG population and most of them don't know about Jesus

mojoman wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2008 at 8:26pm:

only 42 years thats quick!!!!

Nowhere near as quick as the Vatican and the rest of world's apologists forgave this creepy slimebag.

http://images.quickblogcast.com/23662-22547/ratzinger_nazi.jpg

So we need to wait a little more to have the Vatican forgiving John Lennon for the quote / lyrics "The Pope Smokes Dope"

http://mx.youtube.com/watch?v=wnD-Di0UGyg

Gazza wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 6:41am:

All very well, but can they ever forgive McCartney for releasing "Ebony & Ivory" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" ?

I can't.....

Does this mean they forgive Yoko too?

Egon wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 4:15pm:

Does this mean they forgive Yoko too?

Some atrocities inflicted upon mankind can never be pardoned

I wouldn't be surprised if Lennon didn't mean it quite literally.... after all at the height of Beatlemania it would have seemed that there was something afoot and a seachange was taking place. The '60's seemed like the dawn of new possiblities with newer forms of spirituality and consciousness... turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.

Goes to show the resilience of the old religions... or at least the ongoing human need for them.

"  The '60's seemed like the dawn of new possiblities with newer forms of spirituality and consciousness... turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.

Goes to show the resilience of the old religions... or at least the ongoing human need for them "


I would like to nibble your elbows .

Joey wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 6:49pm:

"  The '60's seemed like the dawn of new possiblities with newer forms of spirituality and consciousness... turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. Goes to show the resilience of the old religions... or at least the ongoing human need for them " I would like to nibble your elbows .

weeding?

I guess John is finally now allowed to go through the pearly gates.  :wow

stones67 wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 6:46pm:

I wouldn't be surprised if Lennon didn't mean it quite literally.... after all at the height of Beatlemania it would have seemed that there was something afoot and a seachange was taking place. The '60's seemed like the dawn of new possiblities with newer forms of spirituality and consciousness... turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. Goes to show the resilience of the old religions... or at least the ongoing human need for them.

Well, in an interview he conducted after the "statement", he tried to explain that he could have said "The Beatles are more popular than television", or any number of other things. And that he was not saying they were better or greater or comparing them to Jesus Christ as a person or God as a "thing"...."I said what I said and it was wrong, or it was taken wrong..."

Looking at Life: Did John Lennon really sell his soul to the devil?

Sunday, November 23, 2008
By GARY BROWN
CantonRep.com

Apparently, The Beatles' John Lennon made a pact with the devil.

Who knew? It surprised the CDs out of me.

"Did John Lennon sell his soul to the devil in exchange for his worldly musical success with The Beatles and beyond?" asked an e-mail I received earlier this week from a representative of New Chapter Press. That's the publisher of a soon-to-be released book "The Lennon Prophecy, A New Examination of the Death Clues of The Beatles," by Joseph Niezgoda, who might need a hobby.

"'The Lennon Prophecy' puts forth the theory that a 20-year-old Lennon, so disillusioned with a life of sadness and disappointment where he was abandoned by his father and stricken with the death of his mother, entered into a deal with the devil to achieve fame and fortune," the publisher explained.

It's an interesting theory in an "I THOUGHT I saw Satan on the cover of the 'Sgt. Pepper's' album" sort of way.

EVIDENCE OBVIOUS?

Indeed, Niezgoda supposedly examined the Beatles' record lyrics and album covers to find evidence for his theory. According to the publisher, in his book the author "follows a fascinating and unique trail of sorcery, mysticism, numerology, backward masking, anagrams and literary and theological writings to explain his conclusions."

But those of you who listen to your albums backwards or take cover-enhancing drugs probably already know about this and the "Paul is dead" theories.

"Niezgoda alleges that a 20-year pact began in December of 1960, shortly before a night when Beatlemania first struck audiences on Dec. 27, 1960, when the Fab Four played at Town Hall Ballroom in Litherland, England," the publisher explains. The author is quoted as writing "The Beatles evoked a response noticeably different from anything in their past."

"From there, The Beatles inexplicably and immediately shot to global fame at a level never seen before or since," continued the publisher. "The 20-year pact came to its tragic conclusion on Dec. 8, 1980, when Mark David Chapman, who testified he was possessed by demons, fulfilled the end of the contract by murdering Lennon outside his apartment at The Dakota in New York City."

BEGS QUESTIONS

They keep mentioning the 20 years. I don't know much about deals with the devil. I don't even know where you'd find the devil to negotiate. I'm certain I wouldn't sign a contract even if the devil found me. But 20 years doesn't sound like long enough. Lennon got 20 years, the devil got eternity.

I know The Beatles were a big deal during those two decades, but Lennon spent a lot of that time sleeping and working in his 20 years. He really only got 10 to 12 years of fame.

And what about the other Beatles? Did Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr get a free ride? Or did they cut their own deals, with better agents?

Well, as I already said, according to another theory, Paul apparently died about this time of year in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike. A talented look-alike. It's all in the album covers. That was less than six years after the Town Hall Ballroom concert. He met Ed Sullivan and he was gone.

Bad deal there. If a first Paul made a pact with the devil, he apparently didn't dicker at all.

Voodoo Chile in Wonderland wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2008 at 12:27pm:

Gazza wrote on Nov 23rd, 2008 at 6:41am: All very well, but can they ever forgive McCartney for releasing "Ebony & Ivory" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" ? LOL  ;D ;D ;D :aimama Only God himself can do it, his mercy is infinit

;D ;D :wow

can they ever forgive Lennon for marrying Ono?