Vatican City, Aug 31, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The traditional Vatican Christmas Concert performed every year at the Paul VI Auditorium, will be transferred to a location in Monaco, Vatican sources told the Italian newspaper, “La Stampa” today.
The concert, which had gathered a great number of pop and rock stars during the last 12 years, had not been saved from a few notable scandals.
In 2003, American singer Lauryn Hill broke from the program to go on a diatribe condemning the Church for the sex scandals in the US, before an audience of seven thousand five hundred people, including bishops and cardinals.
According to “La Stampa”, the decision to transfer the annual concert, whose collection is used for Church charities, has less to do with Pope Benedict’s musical taste, who prefers classical music to rock, than with the association between the Vatican and an event that gathered famous, but often controversial, people.
Last year, the coordinator of the event was forced to cancel an invitation to Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury, when she joked on a TV program that she would take advantage of her visit to the Vatican to promote condoms as a way to prevent AIDS.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Click hereOur mission is the truth. Join us!
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.
Donate to CNA