Page 2 of 4 < >

RELIGION BRIEFING

Media Sing Beatles' Praises

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Vatican media are praising the Beatles' musical legacy and sounding philosophical about John Lennon's boast that the British band was more popular than Jesus.

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano recalls that Lennon's comment outraged many when he made it in 1966.

But it says that the remark can be written off now as the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success.

The Beatles often dealt with issues of love, war, peace and justice through different phases of their personal and musical development and through several albums.

The Vatican's comments were triggered by last week's 40th anniversary of the Beatles' "White Album."

The newspaper as well as Vatican Radio last week noted the anniversary, saying the album demonstrated how creative the Beatles were, compared with what it called the "standardized, stereotypical" songs being produced today.

-- Associated Press

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Delivering Bethlehem Messages

The World Council of Churches will help deliver Christmas messages and prayers of peace to the biblical birthplace of Jesus.

Christianity's largest ecumenical movement says messages e-mailed before the Jan. 7 Christmas celebrated by Orthodox Christians will be printed and handed out at schools and places of worship in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

< 2 >