Althouse: "It's true they took stupefying substances; overwhelmed by success they lived dissolute and uninhibited years..."

April 14, 2010

"It's true they took stupefying substances; overwhelmed by success they lived dissolute and uninhibited years..."

"... in an excess of boastfulness they even said they were more famous than Jesus; they had fun launching mysterious messages, even Satanic, according to improbable declarations ... sure they weren't the best example for young people at the time, but neither [were they] the worst."

There's some confusion and consternation over whether the Vatican was absolving The Beatles.

17 comments:

Unknown said...: Just a guess, mind you, but I have the feeling that Jesus Christ and The Catholic Church will be important in people's lives long after the Liverpudlians have achieved the same cultural status as the Tiffany lamp.; 4/14/10, 10:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Oh fuck you, Vatican. Is this news? I guess it is better for you that the public discuss the Beatles rather than the criminal perversity of your child molesting institution.; 4/14/10, 10:37 PM
Scott said...: You really have to be a Catholic to get into this nonsense.; 4/14/10, 11:05 PM
sunsong said...: Rock n Roll music; 4/14/10, 11:37 PM
el polacko said...: ..and we should care what some religious nuts think about a rock band.. why ??; 4/15/10, 1:32 AM
Joan said...: Oy.

Once again, LOR (L’Osservatore Romano) is to the Vatican as the New York Times is to NYC. It is not the voice of the pope, or the Catholic Church. It's a newspaper that is published in Vatican City.

Love Ringo's comment, though: "Shut up & preach."; 4/15/10, 1:41 AM
kentuckyliz said...: The Beatles already seem to be a relic of history, even though they're not all dead yet.; 4/15/10, 6:22 AM
Fred4Pres said...: But just silence about St. Paul Simon?; 4/15/10, 6:54 AM
Drew W said...: I don't care whether or not the Vatican forgives the Beatles.

Do they forgive Yoko?; 4/15/10, 6:59 AM
Tom said...: Yes, the Beatles were execrable, Yoko's a bitch, the (FU) Vatican pathetic to say something nice about them, and certain other self-appointed judges who bully, pontificate, and pronounce too clever for anybody's good when all they bring about is an end game in which their targets do not care about anything or anybody anymore.; 4/15/10, 7:33 AM
Tank said...: Well, if Harrison could forgive Clapton, then the Vatican can forgive Yoko.

I can't, but I'm not Catholic.; 4/15/10, 7:45 AM
Amexpat said...: Who are they to pontificate on such matters?; 4/15/10, 7:49 AM
Anonymous said...: The Vatican said that the Beatles didn't need forgiveness and that their music was "beautiful melodies [that] remain as precious jewels that have changed light music forever."

Yeah. That's harsh. I can see why Ringo reacted the way he did.; 4/15/10, 8:04 AM
John Henry said...: It never ceases to amaze me with all of the resources at the disposal of reporters that they still write idiotic columns stating that whatever L'Osservatore Romano says was said 'by the Vatican'. It is a newspaper, not the Vatican. It's only slightly more ridiculous than saying that "Barack Obama says" and attaching it to a George Will Op-Ed in the Washington Post. LOR =/ Vatican. It makes for better headlines, but better headlines are often inaccureate.; 4/15/10, 8:41 AM
bagoh20 said...: The priests are gonna be in for a big surprise when they hear the Beatles playing from inside the Pearly Gates as they get turned away.

But hey, they got ACDC in Hell so rock on!; 4/15/10, 8:59 AM
paul a'barge said...: Ah, the Vatican.

Look. No matter how often I read scripture, it never ceases to amaze me that the first church evolved into the very kind of entity that Jesus criticized, repeatedly.

Once again, with feeling ... we don't need no stinking Vatican to intercede with our G-d on behalf of us and we certainly don't listen to no stinking Vatican when it comes to absolving anyone.

Julius Ray Hoffman and Scott are right.

Maybe it's time we all printed up signs with Martin Luther's points on them and marched on every Catholic church in the area.; 4/15/10, 10:12 AM
Phil 314 said...: I always knew Ob la di, Ob la doe was latin for something; 4/15/10, 1:00 PM