EL VATICANO PERDONA A LOS BEATLES

For Catholic fans of the Beatles, it's music to their ears.

(April 12)

Forty years after John Lennon said the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus," the Catholic Church has officially forgiven the group for its sins. Last week, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper, their music "beautiful" and referred to the band as "a precious jewel."

"It's true they took drugs, lived life to excess because of their success, even said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages that were possibly even Satanic," L'Osservatore Romano wrote, in a message approved by the pope. But "what would pop music have been like without the Beatles?" the paper asked in a front-page story.

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The Vatican officially forgives the Beatles, here in 1964,
for their sins, four decades after John Lennon said,
"We're more popular than Jesus now."

It's been a long and winding road to forgiveness. In 1966, John Lennon infuriated many Catholics when he said Christianity was dying. "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink," he said. "I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity."

Now, it seems, the Beatles have been forgiven for their trespasses. But some say it's an odd time for the church to pardon a pop group.

In the midst of a priest abuse scandal that's tainted the highest ranks of the church, the Vatican's front-page Beatles story seems oddly out of place. Some say it's the Vatican that's looking for absolution.

"They surely have bigger things to think about," The Guardian Monday, noting that last week's L'Osservatore Romano also included a story that defended the pope's handling of the scandal.

"Mainstream media coverage of child abuse in the Church has sparked responses worldwide, with many declaring their support for the Holy Father's leadership concerning these cases," the paper said.