Just think of what Weird Al Yankovic would do with these songs. In weirder than weird news, it’s being reported that Michael Jackson was in talks with the Vatican to set some of Pope John Paul’s prayers to music. Yeah that Michael Jackson. I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but asking a secular musician to set the Pope’s words to music is not without precedent. A few years ago, “Abba Pater” was released around the world by Sony.
I don’t know who this Father Moscati is or what standing he has with the Vatican (if he’s an official of the Holy See or just an Italian priest), but he seems a bit dense about Jackson, and especially tone deaf to how Americans are likely to see an association with a man largely reviled as an alleged child molester (despite being acquitted) and the Church, which has undergone a huge child abuse scandal. Very weird.
I can’t wait to see what Jeff Miller comes up with.
Technorati Tags: media, music, Pope John Paul II, prayer, sex abuse, Vatican
Thanks for posting this news.
It is simply deplorable that men educated and called to instill the spiritual values for the spiritual life of the faithful have lost the rue purpose of their vacation, and “money” becomes the driving force in their lives.
This can turn into a “scandal” for many good souls. When is this “crazyness” going to stop?
When someone puts a net over the inmates in the asylum.
Leno and Letterman can fire their writers; who needs them when you’ve got a steady stream of material from wacky Catholics.
Move along, folks…nothing to see here. Sheesh.
It’s not at all like the Scotsman reported.
Father Giuseppe Moscati is a music producer, yes, but this story is all hype. If you check eBay, the only thing he’s produced regarding the late Pontiff is a CD of the Rosary…and this was before the Luminous Mysteries were introduced.
He’s NOT an official of the Holy See, and has NO standing whatsoever with the Vatican.
Vatican deputy spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said the Vatican was not involved in the initiative.
Of course, it isn’t.
The Bad Boy approached the good Padre. Period. The Vatican has nothing to do with it.
Repeat: Michael Jackson is NOT in “talks with the Vatican.”
From the “Scotsman:”
Yesterday, Father Giuseppe Moscati, of the Millennium Music Society, which specialises in church music and organises musical events at the Vatican, reluctantly confirmed the details.
What a load of *&^#). Try to find the “Millenium Music Society.” Can’t? That’s because it doesn’t exist.
Jackson might be in “talks” with the musical Father Moscati, but that’s the extent of the story.
If the Michael Jackson deal falls through, they can always ask Fr. Stan Fortuna of Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s group of Franciscans.
The language barrier is getting in the way here.
Fr. Moscati is, according to this page, a composer, a former director of the Edizioni Paoline publishing house (a slightly flaky cousin to the DSP’s St. Paul Editions), and current director of (yes, Kelly, it’s real) “Edizioni Musicali III Millennio” (“Third Millennium Music Publishing”).
He puts out various kinds of religious and cultural music, including some weird stuff like this CD of music by the esoteric guru Georges Gurdjieff. From there, it’s not a big stretch to do a project with The Gloved One.
Incidentally, it’s not easy to search the net for material about Fr. Moscati, as he shares his name with a saint.
I understand that, RC. What I questioned, and still do, was the “Millennium Music Society.” At any rate, thank goodness the whole thing didn’t blow up to hysterical proportions, and that my email box didn’t get filled with urgent pleas to protest the Vatican.
Well, “society” is where the language barrier is probably coming into it: “societa”, as a business term, is better translated as “company”.
Homepage of the Millennium Music Society, I believe. Can anyone read Italian?
Here is another story on this society’s previous choice that had to be rejected.
And ironically, here is the Michael Jackson Story with a link on the right-hand column that connects to a story about Jackson facing new claims of child abuse.
RC, the Gurdjieff aspect is certainly noteworthy. I hadn’t found that.
From Catholic News Service
“But, the priest told Catholic News Service, to have Jackson sing one of the songs or to be part of a choir singing a song might have helped sales, reaching greater numbers of people.”
Get it? Even though only one song would be limited, nevertheless it was “sales or money” the motivation.
In fairness, I’m not excluding another intention—“reaching a greater numbers of people”—-
The question is—is it moral to use any means for a good end? No matter how thin one slices it, Jackson’s influence in the moral field of sexual morals for himself and upon a generation of young people throughout the world has been devasting—-not so??????
Sorry for the mis-spelling—-is :devastating: