Singer Lauryn Hill Blasts Church at Vatican Concert

Reuters ^ | Dec 14, 2003 | Philip Pullella

[jern]

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - American singer Lauryn Hill, from a stage used by the Pope, shocked Catholic officials at a concert by telling them to "repent" and alluding to sexual abuse of children by U.S. priests.

The broadside came during the recording Saturday night of a Christmas concert attended by top Vatican (news - web sites) cardinals, bishops and many elite of Italian society, witnesses said.

Hill made her comments when taking the microphone to sing at the concert, held in the same huge hall and stage Pope John Paul (news - web sites) uses for his weekly general audiences and other events. The Pope was not present.

"I did not come here to celebrate the birth of Christ with you but to ask you why you are not in mourning for his death inside this place," she said according to a transcript of her statement run by the Rome newspaper La Repubblica.

A spokesman for Prime Time Productions, the concert's organizers, said the newspaper's quotes were accurate.

"God has been a witness to the corruption of his leadership, of the exploitation and abuses ... by the clergy," she said.

This was an apparent reference to the scandal in the United States last year over the sexual abuse of children by priests.

Hill told the crowd to seek blessings "from God not men" and said she did "not believe in representatives of God on earth."

A few feet away in the front row sat five cardinals, including Edmund Szoka, American governor of Vatican City.

Hill, 28, did not sing the song listed on the program but instead sang a song about social injustice.

Organizers said Hill's outburst and performance would most probably be cut from the show when it is aired on Christmas Eve.

Hill shot to fame in the mid-1990s with band The Fugees, whose album "The Score" sold 17 million copies, to become one of the biggest hip-hop chart successes of all time.

She went on to win five Grammy awards for her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." She has a son and daughter by Rohan Marley, the son of Reggae legend Bob Marley.

[OpusatFR]

"She has a son and daughter by Rohan Marley, the son of Reggae legend Bob Marley."

Bob Marley. Oh yeah. Now there was a real supporter of the USA, the Pope, and Catholics.

Rastas all.

[Gumption]

I'm offended and I don't even believe. What a sick twisted bitch.

[cyborg]

What has she done lately? I happen to agree that the Pope has not been esp. strong in his condemnation but the man is knocking at death's door.

[Ken522]

This woman Hill is obviously not Catholic - why did the Vatican allow her to sing?

[Loyalist]

PING.

Who organizes these pop music concerts in the Vatican?

[cyborg]

Devout Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie is the incarnation of God, a man who has denied this claim (who was ethiopian orthodox catholic himself).

[lelio]

I'm offended and I don't even believe. What a sick twisted bitch.

What's sicker: her bringing this up, or the Pope ignoring the problem of pedophile priests?

[cyborg]

more on Hill's religious beliefs... she should be the last one talking

http://www.bet.com/articles/1,,c2gb3075-3739,00.html

[Gumption]

Time and place dude.

[TheAngryClam]

This is what happens when you let Protestants speak around Catholics.

[thathamiltonwoman]

Lauryn Hill has two or three out of wedlock children and wavers between voodoo and rastafarianism. What the heck was she doing at a Vatican concert?

[Azzurri]

Yikes. After reading that link, who in their right mind invited her to a Vatican concert?

[Trajan88]

Anyone remember $hitnade O'Connor... her career tanked so bad that she recently dropped out of the music biz.

I hope that is the end result of Ms. Hill's outburst.

Actions have consequences.

Trajan88

[cyborg]

If nothing else, she shows she has no class. There's a time and place for everything. She belongs back in the Riverton Dump she came from.

[OldFriend]

Sounds more like she's a practicing slut.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

5 Grammy awards huh?Now we know how she got them.AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS!This is a pretty good sign her career is going down the tubes when someone has to do something this outrageous to gain attention.

[JoeSchem]

more on Hill's religious beliefs... she should be the last one talking

While I disapprove of her using that forum for that message, your link doesn't say she's done anything as evil as pedophilia.

[muleskinner]

picture please

[Numbers Guy]

Bob Marley. Oh yeah. Now there was a real supporter of the USA, the Pope, and Catholics.

Bad barroom poetry

============

Elvis lives or so they say

But I heard something really gnarly

Another "dead" one's still around;

I'm talking 'bout Bob Marley

Of a tumor he did "die"

But he survived and performs unfettered

Without a brain he writes new songs

And, frankly, they sound better