Did Pope Benedict XVI condemn "rock music" as satanic?

[catholick345]

I was quoted parts of this article by someone arguing that the Pope is “out of touch” and an intolerant conspiracy alarmist because he condemns “rock music” as “satanic.”

Is there any truth to the charge? Usually it follows after a claim that Pope Benedict wants to ban Harry Potter for being an “evil influence.”

Here is the article:

groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.lebanon/msg/4dc071f061fc0f4e?dmode=source

It reads:

From the Times, 25Th Nov 1996.

Cardinal condemns pop devil music

FROM RICHARD OWEN IN ROME

ONE of the Roman Catholic world’s most powerful figures
has branded rock music an “instrument of the Devil” and
urged young people not to listen to it for fear of
endangering their souls.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the modern successor
to the Inquisition, said there were “diabolical and
satanic messages” in much of today’s heavy metal music.
But he also warned the young against the “subliminal”
satanic influence to be found in songs by such groups
as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Queen,
Led Zeppelin and the Eagles.

Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregration for
the Doctrine of the Faith, is considered the highest
moral authority in the Vatican after the Pope, at whose
side he has been for almost all of the latter’s 18-year
reign. His stern admonishment and even excommunication
of dissident theologians has earned him a fearsome
reputation.

Speaking yesterday at a Mass marking the feast of St
Cecilia, the patron saint of music, Cardinal Ratzinger
agreed that there were many good things in modern pop
music, but added that there was also a great deal that
“endangers the human soul”. He urged heavy metal bands
in particular to “purify themselves”.

Vatican officials identified some of the “worst
offenders” as Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and AC/DC,
whose initials they claimed referred not to alternating
current or even bisexuality, but to the satanic phrase
“Anti-Christ, Death to Christ”.

I tried to check the Times (London) and it did feature an author called “Richard Owen in Rome” who had written other critical articles about the Church, but the archive doesn’t cover articles published after 1985. “Ibrahim Ballouz” supposedly reproduced the article the day it was published in the email I linked. But is it a real quote? Is it a fair quote? Thanks in advance

 

[kinja]

I was quoted parts of this article by someone arguing that the Pope is “out of touch” and an intolerant conspiracy alarmist because he condemns “rock music” as “satanic.”

Is there any truth to the charge? Usually it follows after a claim that Pope Benedict wants to ban Harry Potter for being an “evil influence.”

Here is the article:

groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.lebanon/msg/4dc071f061fc0f4e?dmode=source

It reads:

I tried to check the Times (London) and it did feature an author called “Richard Owen in Rome” who had written other critical articles about the Church, but the archive doesn’t cover articles published after 1985. “Ibrahim Ballouz” supposedly reproduced the article the day it was published in the email I linked. But is it a real quote? Is it a fair quote? Thanks in advance

Hi catholic,
I have been studying pop music for some time now and I will say that there is some truth to this. I also actually heard my father say that he saw on the news about 15 years ago that Pope John Paul II condemns rock music as a bad influence. This is the first time I’m hearing the our present Pope may have said same while still a cardinal. I tend to agree with the claim that the rock bands in question include elements in their music and name that are occultic at best and satanic at worst.

Led Zeppplin defnitely has backward messages in Stairway to Heaven. ACDC has some satanic songs and i’ve heard that the name stands for after christ devil comes as well. Alice Cooper is overtly satanic and many others. So I don’t know if the Cardinal at the time said so but I think that with a little research and keen observance of the said performers you can surmise that they are into dark arts or at least advertise them.

With respect to Harry Potter. The problem with Potter is that he is a witch who is also the hero of the book/show. Magic is forbidden in the bible and to all who profess Christ Jesus. The focus in the Harry Potter books on magic is dangerous I think becasue it creates an interest for kids and adults in magic as a harmless and even benevolent tool to effect change.

Since the harry potter franchise took hold there are now more how to books on practical magic in the book stores than there are christian books. I think it is a cause for concern.

 

[kimmielittle]

Hiyas

The Vatican doesn’t diss anything without examination / investigation. Evidently, some old folks in the Vatican have listened to the likes of :

Vatican officials identified some of the “worst offenders” as Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and AC/DC,

It’ interesting to note That it also said:

Cardinal Ratzinger agreed that there were many good things in modern pop music,

but that - goes unnoticed.

He didn’t condemn “Rock music”.

Sooo… the claim of being "out of touch ’ doesn’t have logical merit.

It may be 'out of touch" to what that particular person want’s to hear.

Is there reason for to be aware of dangers of certain groups messages? Well certain lyrics speak for themselves.

Is it the place of Church to call us to be mindful, as Christians? - who better?

 

[Pat_Payne]

Led Zeppplin defnitely has backward messages in Stairway to Heaven.

This is the first I’ve heard of that, and I tend to doubt it. The only harm that comes from “Stairway to Heaven” in my opinion is it’s a vastly overrated song that gets more airplay than it deserves.

In any case, there’ve been studies on “backmasking” which is what you describe, where researchers have deliberately backmasked messages into recordings to see what would happen, and they were found to be totally ineffective and a waste of time as a subliminal message.

Though one band (I think it was Steely Dan) did “backmask” a message that said something like: “Thanks for wasting all this time to find our hidden backwards message. was it worth it?”

Alice Cooper is overtly satanic

Not so much satanic as shocking for shock’s sake… and that’s ON STAGE. Off stage, he’s actually a born-again Christian who has a strong faith, and was a frequent golfing buddy of Gerald Ford (this is not sarcasm, by the way. “Cooper’s embrace of Christianity was more a return to faith than a coming to faith. ‘I was pretty much convinced all my life that there was just one God and there was Jesus Christ and there was the Devil,’ he told KNAC.com. ‘You couldn’t believe in God without believing in the Devil. I always tell bands that the most dangerous thing you can do is to believe in the concept of the Devil or the concept of God, because you’re not giving them full credit. When you believe in God, you’ve got to believe in the all-powerful God. He’s not just God, He’s the all-powerful God and He has total control over everyone’s life. The Devil, on the other hand, is a real character that’s trying his hardest to tear your life apart. If you believe that this is just mythology, you’re a prime target because you know that’s exactly what Satan wants: To be a myth. But he’s not a myth, of this I’m totally convinced. More than anything in the world, I’m convinced of that.’”
" So spake Alice Cooper, Satanist menace. )

Since the harry potter franchise took hold there are now more how to books on practical magic in the book stores than there are christian books.

Most of which are probably much less effective than signing up for the Tarbell Course and buying yourself a Harry Houdini “L’il Magician” kit

 

[shondrea]

Oh, not this again

 

[blazerdave]

80s Metal was quite saintly. Today’s “rock,” however is sinful and apostate

 

[mini_me640]

Alice Cooper is overtly satanic and many others.

Alice Cooper is actually a born-again Christian.

 

[Pat_Payne]

80s Metal was quite saintly. Today’s “rock,” however is sinful and apostate

 

[kinja]

This is the first I’ve heard of that, and I tend to doubt it. The only harm that comes from “Stairway to Heaven” in my opinion is it’s a vastly overrated song that gets more airplay than it deserves.

In any case, there’ve been studies on “backmasking” which is what you describe, where researchers have deliberately backmasked messages into recordings to see what would happen, and they were found to be totally ineffective and a waste of time as a subliminal message.

Though one band (I think it was Steely Dan) did “backmask” a message that said something like: “Thanks for wasting all this time to find our hidden backwards message. was it worth it?”

Yes there are several backwards messages in the song. I heard them myself. You can do it too if you aren’t too afraid to try it. Just open windows recorder or similar audio recorder app. Press record and then play the part of the song that goes like “If there’s a bustle in your hedgegrow don’t be alarmed now,…” and ends with “there’s still time to change the road you’re on”. Then stop the recorder and use the reverse tool in win recorder and then violla. Play and here “Oh here’s to my sweet satan…”

Why doubt it when you can research these things yourself friend?

Most of which are probably much less effective than signing up for the Tarbell Course and buying yourself a Harry Houdini “L’il Magician” kit

The same can be said for reading horoscopes I think. It seems harmless doesn’t it. And reading horoscopes is similar to the practice of magic according the catholic christian tradition and teaching. It is all divination and all contemptable practices.

Does it really matter how effective magic is? The fact that people are practicing it at all is dangerous.

 

[kinja]

Alice Cooper is actually a born-again Christian.

My apologies. I didn;t know. The few clips I saw of him online were enough to convince me that he was into dark stuff or parading as something of the like. Was he always a christian or did he become one? I doubt he can be a shock rocker and a follower of Jesus at the same time. Both of those things are mutually exclusive. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of order.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

That was Iron Maiden on the album “Piece of Mind,” a classic… not Steely…

Though one band (I think it was Steely Dan) did “backmask” a message that said something like: “Thanks for wasting all this time to find our hidden backwards message. was it worth it?”

Not so much satanic as shocking for shock’s sake… and that’s ON STAGE. Off stage, he’s actually a born-again Christian who has a strong faith, and was a frequent golfing buddy of Gerald Ford (this is not sarcasm, by the way. “Cooper’s embrace of Christianity was more a return to faith than a coming to faith. ‘I was pretty much convinced all my life that there was just one God and there was Jesus Christ and there was the Devil,’ he told KNAC.com. ‘You couldn’t believe in God without believing in the Devil. I always tell bands that the most dangerous thing you can do is to believe in the concept of the Devil or the concept of God, because you’re not giving them full credit. When you believe in God, you’ve got to believe in the all-powerful God. He’s not just God, He’s the all-powerful God and He has total control over everyone’s life. The Devil, on the other hand, is a real character that’s trying his hardest to tear your life apart. If you believe that this is just mythology, you’re a prime target because you know that’s exactly what Satan wants: To be a myth. But he’s not a myth, of this I’m totally convinced. More than anything in the world, I’m convinced of that.’”
" So spake Alice Cooper, Satanist menace. )

Most of which are probably much less effective than signing up for the Tarbell Course and buying yourself a Harry Houdini “L’il Magician” kit

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Couldn’t agree more. Everything from Nirvana to present was condemned as heretical at the Fifth Metal Ecumenical Council of 2010 chaired by Metal Pope Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden with Archbishop Jimmy Page looking on

80s Metal was quite saintly. Today’s “rock,” however is sinful and apostate

 

[Pat_Payne]

Yes there are several backwards messages in the song. I heard them myself. You can do it too if you aren’t too afraid to try it. Just open windows recorder or similar audio recorder app. Press record and then play the part of the song that goes like “If there’s a bustle in your hedgegrow don’t be alarmed now,…” and ends with “there’s still time to change the road you’re on”. Then stop the recorder and use the reverse tool in win recorder and then violla. Play and here “Oh here’s to my sweet satan…”

And people still believe that they can hear “Turn me on, dead man” when you play “Revolution 9” backwards, and that there are other sly hints to Paul McCartney’s supposed death in 1967 hidden in other Beatles records. All these phenomena were not reported till the rumors that Mccartney had died in a car crash and had his death hushed up by use of a double had started to surface. Only then did people start to beleive the hint were there.* Not everything you hear was put there deliberately. The human ear has an exceedingly great capacity to hear what truly isn’t there, especially when we have others telling us it’s there. We’re hard-wired to try to turn chaos into order, and sometimes that impulse has us take random garbled messages (like a recording played backward) and try to process it into something meaningful.

And even if they were doing it, what’s the point of it being backwards? I mean, logically… if you’re going to try to win hearts and minds, you’re not going to be likely to put the message in a form that nobody can easily comprehend.

In the Passion that we just heard on Friday, Christ himself said that he spoke his message openly in the synagogues and in the streets among the people. And that built a Church of over a billion souls. If these rockers are trying to win minds for the Evil One, they’re shooting themselves in the foot if backmasking is the best they’ve got.

*“Oh, and here’s another clue for you all/The Walrus was Paul”, was John Lennon’s sardonic comment on people scouring their albums for hidden clues into a non-event.

 

[Pat_Payne]

That was Iron Maiden on the album “Piece of Mind,” a classic… not Steely…

Thanks for the correct!

 

[mini_me640]

My apologies. I didn;t know. The few clips I saw of him online were enough to convince me that he was into dark stuff or parading as something of the like. Was he always a christian or did he become one? I doubt he can be a shock rocker and a follower of Jesus at the same time. Both of those things are mutually exclusive. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of order.

Apology accepted but you should probably not make the claim that someone is “overtly Satanic” if you don’t know anything about them other than a couple of Youtube videos. At any rate, he was raised in a Christian church and to be honest I don’t know if he fell away and reverted or never fell away - I know that he had alcohol problems at one time which he overcame. He is now very vocal about his Christian faith. I disagree that he couldn’t be a shock rocker and a Christian at the same time. What he does amounts to acting. I personally think one could act in a horror movie and still be a Christian, and I don’t see a difference between theatrical rock music and movies. We may have to agree to disagree on that one. I’m not actually an Alice Cooper fan, but I see his type of music/performing as acting and entertainment, I don’t take it as reality.

 

[Joe_5859]

I would just like to issue a word of caution about taking at face value the brief, cherry-picked quotes from a third-party news source about anything that anyone from the Church said.

The Vatican has never condemned a particular genre of music. They most certainly have never broadly labeled an entire genre as satanic. And they definitely have not singled out particular groups as being ones to avoid.

In Ratzinger’s “Spirit of the Liturgy”, he issues some cautions about rock music (specifically in regards to it’s use in the liturgy). But not every cautionary statement should be translated into unequivocal condemnation. That’s an important point to keep in mind. I can caution people on the dangers of eating sugary foods, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s “satanic” for anyone and everyone to eat a piece of candy.

 

[presidentjlh]

About AC/DC being “satanic”, the band’s rhythm guitarist, Malcolm Young, had this to say:

“Satanists? Me mum would kill us!”

They aren’t “satanic”. Granted, they aren’t particularly holy people, but they aren’t as bad as people think.

The band’s lead guitarist, Angus Young, married his girlfriend not long after the death of the band’s first frontman, Bon Scott (RIP). He’s never cheated on her, is still married to her, and has a few kids.

In addition, while he is addicted to cigarettes, he never got into alcohol and drugs. He has repeatedly stated that his crazy antics on stage on just out of a pure love of the music. Music is how he gets his “high”.

The band’s current lead singer, Brian Johnson, has gone through a couple divorces. But he recently gave up smoking cigarettes, has chastized celebrities for flaunting their charitable works like hypocrites, and is believed to do charitable work himself (He doesn’t like to talk about how he helps people)

Yeah, they were crazy guys when they were younger, but, compared to a lot of bands, they aren’t that bad. Yeah, they got songs like “Hells Bells”, “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be”, and “Highway to Hell”, but those songs aren’t really about Hell. The first song was a sort of tribute to Bon Scott (More of a ironic and sarcastic use of Hell, not saying “Yeah, enjoy Hell, man!”) The second song is about a woman that so manipulative that being with her makes Hell not seem so bad in comparison. It’s hyperbole. “Highway to Hell” is not at all about going to Hell, it was a comment that the band’s lead guitarist made about being on tour: “It’s a ****ing highway to Hell.” (Crude, yes, but not satanic)

You’re probably asking, “How does this guy know this?”

Well, I own all of AC/DC’s studio albums, I’ve seen them live last year, I’ve read up on them, and I’m just a huge fan. Also, their music has usually inspired me to do good in life: It makes me get active, gives me strength to keep going. I don’t really care about the lyrics, but I love the music. It’s powerful and tough.

They aren’t necessarily a bad influence on people. I remember reading this story about this guy who was addicted to alcohol, big time. He decided to quit it, and to help, he listened to AC/DC’s “Powerage” album non-stop for like a week. To this day, he is sober.

So, I think what happened was then-Cardinal Ratzinger wasn’t lying or anything, he was just mis-informed about the band.

Rock on.

 

[Joe_5859]

So, I think what happened was then-Cardinal Ratzinger wasn’t lying or anything, he was just mis-informed about the band.

Rock on.

Yes, rock on, indeed. \m/

I’d just like to add that I have serious doubts that Cardinal Ratzinger ever mentioned AC/DC by name or singled them out as “satanic.”

One of the reasons I have such trouble taking such “rock-music-is-satanic” criticisms seriously is because they tend to come from people who have no familiarity with the music. They are usually just making assertions based on conjecture and hearsay. In certain Christian circles, it’s just “obvious” that rock music is evil. No evidence is needed.

I guess it makes sense, considering America’s puritanical roots. Some people approach song lyrics the same way they approach Scripture: with no awareness whatsoever of literary devices. Song lyrics are like poetry (at least, they should be if they are done well ). This means that the lyricists will utilize devices such as metaphors and hyperbole. We can’t just rip quotes out of context and assume that the artist meant the line literalistically. There are plenty of Christian metal bands whose song titles would make most people uncomfortable (“Fill This Place With Blood” [the Blood of Christ, of course ], “Rock the Hell Out of You” [quite literally!], etc.). Again, it’s just the use of literary device.

Do bands sometimes use such devices crudely and/or tactlessly? Absolutely. But that doesn’t make them satanic. IMHO, it does a disservice to the Church when we toss out the term “satanic” with such abandon. It lowers our credibility. Not that we shouldn’t call a spade a spade. We should. But we need to be very sure that what we are calling a spade actually is a spade.

 

[Ryan_Miller]

n Ratzinger’s “Spirit of the Liturgy”, he issues some cautions about rock music (specifically in regards to it’s use in the liturgy). But not every cautionary statement should be translated into unequivocal condemnation. That’s an important point to keep in mind. I can caution people on the dangers of eating sugary foods, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s “satanic” for anyone and everyone to eat a piece of candy.

Have the enemies of the Church slandered against the pope like they did with Galileo?

 

[joshrp]

I was quoted parts of this article by someone arguing that the Pope is “out of touch” and an intolerant conspiracy alarmist because he condemns “rock music” as “satanic.”

Is there any truth to the charge? Usually it follows after a claim that Pope Benedict wants to ban Harry Potter for being an “evil influence.”

Here is the article:

groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.lebanon/msg/4dc071f061fc0f4e?dmode=source

It reads:

I tried to check the Times (London) and it did feature an author called “Richard Owen in Rome” who had written other critical articles about the Church, but the archive doesn’t cover articles published after 1985. “Ibrahim Ballouz” supposedly reproduced the article the day it was published in the email I linked. But is it a real quote? Is it a fair quote? Thanks in advance

Rock music really is Satanic. It promotes a view of mankind as merely beasts.