Vatican newspaper forgives John Lennon for hubris

A touching report from the BBC's David Willey  about John lennon being - quotes - 'forgiven' by the Vatican for his remarks about the Beatles being bigger than Jesus. At the time in 1966 radio stations banned their music and concerts were cancelled .  Now Osservatore Romano praises the group and says it was just "showing off,bragging by a young English working-class musician who had grown up in the age of Elvis Presley and rock and roll and had enjoyed unexpected success"   So that's the Catholic forgiveness then.  Stand by for the various Protestant groupings...

Comments

[Tommy]

It was neither showing off nor bragging, and nor was Lennon working class, for that matter. His comment was a simple observation of fact that among young people in England at that time the Beatles were more popular than the church.

[Andrew Milner]

John Lennon was unavailable for comment.

[Jean Lalande]

"Quotes", indeed; the question, though, is "who is really being quoted"? God forbid that Libby Purves should actually *read* what the Osservatore Romano (which -- doh!! -- isn't "the Vatican") really said, in order to discover whether there was truly any mention of some sort of official "forgiveness" for Lennon, or whether the term is in fact a journalistic invention of Mr. Willey's in an attempt to put some sort of spin on a very tame story. No, that would require some basic journalistic effort, as well as some regard for for accuracy, and heaven knows that we should not expect THAT from any member of the British press when reporting about religion! Instead, it is so much easier, and so much more fun, to ignore whether something stated by another journalist is accurate, but to have a snide and dismissive comment to make anyway, isn't it?

[iain rae]

This is welcome news from the Vatican, if as usual a tad late. Hopefully in the near future forgiveness will be offered to Henry 8th,the Hunchback of Notradame and Spike Milligan.

[Norman]

Forgiveness implies that someone was injured, and that the injured party gives up any claim to punish the injuring party. In this case, I don't see that Lennon's comment injured anyone. So in what sense is Lennon forgiven?

I forgot: it's the right of all religions not to hear dissenting voices. Lennon has been forgiven for crimespeak.

[Steve Grant]

Jean - the Osservatore Romano is the Vatican newspaper and the first two words of Libby's headline are 'Vatican Newspaper' - to use your expression - 'doh'!
For a positive - if not glowing - review of the Beatles on the 40th anniversary of the White Album to appear in it is, by any definition or reasoning, a gesture of 'forgiveness'. It should be pointed out to you that Libby and Bess are perfectly at liberty to editorialise and comment on a story in their own columns - that is why we read them. Would you have it that they just report verbatim, like some Soviet news service?
Or rather, anything that supports the crumbling and corrupt edifice of Catholicism should be shouted from the rafters, but anything other ignored, dismissed or otherwise subdued.
The point is not whether the Vatican forgives, but whether it can ever be forgiven.

[s masty]

if the vatican is going to forgive examples of stomach-turning hubris, surely the first stop is english newspapers!

[Bridget]

The Beatles probable get more air play worldwide than a gospel station today. His statement was accurate and in does not need forgiveness.

[IAN PAYNE]

But does John forgive the VATICAN ?

[iain rae]

I forgive the Vatican for having billions in the bank.

[Mikko K.]

Maybe Yoko could forgive on behalf of John? But do the folks in the Osservatore in fact know that John is dead?

[Rodney Barker]

To the Vatican I say Welcome to the world 2008. However,in terms of fact, John Lennon was probably right and he did acknowledge the existence of Christ. So,for what and by what right is the Vatican forgiving Lennon for?

[iain rae]

I forgive the Vatican for the Inquisition and book banning.

[Edd, London]

I forgive the Vatican for employing a man whose job is stand in the Sistene Chapel shouting "No photos!" every 30 seconds, despite the fact that it doesn't stop people taking photos but does entirely ruin any atmosphere of peace that may otherwise have been present. Actually on second thoughts I don't forgive them. But I also don't forgive John Lennon for 95% of his solo records.