http://www.independent.co.uk/n.....-christ-1031232.html

By David Randall and Richard Osley
Sunday, 23 November 2008


More than 40 years after John Lennon angered most of the known Christian world with his declaration that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, he has finally been forgiven. A lengthy editorial in the Vatican's daily newspaper, Osservatore Romano, has said that the statement was a mere "boast" by a young man grappling with the effects of sudden, and extreme fame.

The Pope's representative on paper has thus, albeit 28 years too late for Lennon himself to hear the good news, absolved him. Hopefully, thousands of formerly young and frighteningly pious Americans will now feel some twinge of guilt about burning Beatles records in such numbers when the fuss first broke in 1966.

The belated, but nevertheless welcome, blessing came in the Saturday edition of Osservatore Romano, which has recently had a modernising makeover. In July, it ran a story on another famous rock'n'roller, describing Elvis Presley as a "nice, sensitive young man". Now, in an article marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' White Album, the paper commented: "The remark by John Lennon... sounds only like a 'boast' by a young working-class Englishman faced with unexpected success, after growing up in the legend of Elvis and rock and roll."

Osservatore Romano, warming to its theme, concluded by saying: "The fact remains that 38 years after breaking up, the songs of the Lennon-McCartney brand have shown an extraordinary resistance to the passage of time, becoming a source of inspiration for more than one generation of pop musicians."

So there we have it.

The comment was made by Lennon in an interview with Maureen Cleave of the Evening Standard in March 1966. He said: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that. I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first – rock'n'roll or Christianity."

The storm over Lennon's quip grew when it was reprinted in an American magazine four months later. In Longview, Texas, there was a public burning of Beatles records. Radio stations across southern US states ran messages encouraging people to destroy their collections, while many banned the group from their playlists.

Even the Ku Klux Klan got in on the act, organising anti-Beatles demonstrations where the band was denounced. When the Beatles toured the US in 1966, there were death threats. There was a similar stiff reaction in South Africa, with Beatles albums banned and, some, destroyed.

Lennon held a press conference in Chicago, but did not withdraw his comments. In 1969, he tried to explain them in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He said: "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."

Today, it seems, the feeling is at last mutual.

Macca can get absolutely anyone in for a plug. lol

Well, I hope the Church succeeds in guilting fans belatedly into rethinking their mob mentality, an achievement it can only accomplish by relying on the continuing presence of mob mentality.

The Catholic Church in particular has been successful in its longevity by periodically giving itself a makeover so it isn't too out-of-step with the masses. So now John Lennon and Elvis are "in". I wish I could see this move with a less cynical eye, but I can't. The tortured voices of too many voters who were being pressured by the Catholic Church to vote a certain way are still fresh in my mind. The Vatican might have done some good if it had spoken up at the time. Trying to claim a little coolness by "forgiving" John Lennon now is just pathetic, in my book.

ha, now teaach my mom's crazy conserivative side of the family that I'm not a devil child for listening to John!!
And really, it won't change my opinion on the Catholic church

Quoted from harihead

Well, I hope the Church succeeds in guilting fans belatedly into rethinking their mob mentality, an achievement it can only accomplish by relying on the continuing presence of mob mentality.

The Catholic Church in particular has been successful in its longevity by periodically giving itself a makeover so it isn't too out-of-step with the masses. So now John Lennon and Elvis are "in". I wish I could see this move with a less cynical eye, but I can't. The tortured voices of too many voters who were being pressured by the Catholic Church to vote a certain way are still fresh in my mind. The Vatican might have done some good if it had spoken up at the time. Trying to claim a little coolness by "forgiving" John Lennon now is just pathetic, in my book.

It looks as if the church was unwise at that time. And how can a church be unwise? It contradicts the very idea of a church.
The church should have said these very words then.
And what concerns John`s comment, one has to know John and to understand his character to realise why he said it.

I think John would be very upset at hearing this news! The last thing he would want would be for the church, the "authority", to praise him.

I just love that the Vatican is even thinking about Lennon.

Quoted from Jane

And how can a church be unwise?

My opinion, whatever it is worth to you, is that most churches are unwise.

Quoted from Sandra

I just love that the Vatican is even thinking about Lennon.

Almost 28 years after his death and over 42 years after his remark. Still stirring things up.

Just think of it this way, I think John would be glad that we're still saying so much about him.  It annoys me that they're trying to seem more approachable.  It just bugs me...

I think John's answer would be:

Dear Pope,

It's - Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Not - Happiness Is A Warm Altar Boy

Kind Regards Lennon

In all seriousness, did they "condemn" him back then, that they need to forgive him?

If not, WTF?

And do they "forgive" him for saying "Imagine there's no heaven?", or "Mother Superior jumped the gun"?

Well, forgiving John Lennon is a start, although somehow I wish they had not forgiven him.
Now, what about all the rest that the Catholic church is guilty of?

I can imagine Lennon teasingly saying 'Thanks Pope, that's dope!' lol

Quoted from Jane

[/b]

It looks as if the church was unwise at that time. And how can a church be unwise? It contradicts the very idea of a church.
The church should have said these very words then.
And what concerns John`s comment, one has to know John and to understand his character to realise why he said it.

Oh, I think the church can be very unwise. They teach people to believe in a higher power (g o d) when there is no evidence to support it. And yet they damn the theory of creation when there is a mass of evidence to support it.

Concerning John's comment, maybe he should have realised that most of the people listening to him didn't know him, or his true character, and therefore wouldn't understand him.