Singing priest's Hallelujah wows wedding guests

[maklavan]

I used to love Leonard Cohen when I was agnostic and sexually promiscuous. Cohen included just enough religion in his songs to be tantalizing to people of former faith. But really they were all about sex. “The Sisters of Mercy” is supposedly about prostitutes.

I must have been aninnocent(or dim) lad,because I was a great devotee of Leonard Cohen and never saw anything sexual or suggestive in any of his songs!

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I must have been aninnocent(or dim) lad,because I was a great devotee of Leonard Cohen and never saw anything sexual or suggestive in any of his songs!

You do now, I hope?

 

[Phemie]

I must have been aninnocent(or dim) lad,because I was a great devotee of Leonard Cohen and never saw anything sexual or suggestive in any of his songs!

I guess you’ve only ever heard the Shrek version of “Hallelujah!”. Having listened to “Hallelujah!” many times I really couldn’t believe they used that in a children’s film. Then I watched the movie and realized that they were singing a sanitized version.

 

[GraceSofia]

Over 1800 viewers of this thread to date, surely among them some who come here to learn more about the Catholic Church in their personal journey for the true faith. I wonder how many have said “nah, guess I need to look elsewhere”.

I was thinking that, too. The lack of charity, to put it politely, is astounding.

WO
w, this son of the Church receives more positivity on FB and YouTube than on a Catholic forum!

I guess I am not surprised.

I’m surprised. And I’m surprised at how some people feel so free to be quite disrespectful. With Catholics like these who needs anti-Catholics?

This entire incident struck me as too much about people.

It was a wedding. Two people joining their lives in Holy Matrimony.

 

[ProVobis]

WO
w, this son of the Church receives more positivity on FB and YouTube than on a Catholic forum!

I guess I am not surprised.

FB and You tube are designed for positivity only. If the YT uploader feels he would receive more dislike votes, he simply disables the ratings and/or comments.

 

[SoulSolace]

With the understanding that some have learned something here. (about what to say, what not to say, etc…)
I wonder if this priest has dispensed more mercy than what he has received?
Was the performance egocentric? Maybe. Or maybe he realizes he has a tremendous gift and wanted to bestow the gift of song on the new couple.
It has been brought to his attention I am sure, and he and God will discern motives.
For myself, I am glad to have learned something about the Mass that I somehow missed before. (I don’t recall it ever being explained to me prior to this, and even then, it wasn’t explained… I looked it up on Google after reading a comment)

The meanness of some of the comments on this thread are, well, very uncharitable.
It reminds me of the verse in the Bible about certain people tithing all manner of rue and mint, but leaving the greater things of the law, mercy and love, undone.
JMO

God bless.

 

[felsguy]

Mass is the highest form of prayer and should be focus on God … worshiping God according to GOD’S RULES. QUOTE]

“GOD’S RULES” . Such as?

.

 

[Phemie]

Iwona Jolanta;11902247:

Mass is the highest form of prayer and should be focus on God … worshiping God according to GOD’S RULES. QUOTE]

“GOD’S RULES” . Such as?

The Church was given the power to bind and loose. The Church makes the rules for worship ergo ‘God’s rules’. We are called to obedience to the Church.

 

[felsguy]

Iwona Jolanta;11902247:

Mass is the highest form of prayer and should be focus on God … worshiping God according to GOD’S RULES. QUOTE]

“GOD’S RULES” . Such as?

.

felsguy;11905847:

The Church was given the power to bind and loose. The Church makes the rules for worship ergo ‘God’s rules’. We are called to obedience to the Church.

That’s a nice approach and I have no quarrel with it. Myself, I’m not inclined to think of whether we have 2, 4, or 6 candles lit at Mass and such as one of “God’s rules.”

.

 

[maklavan]

You do now, I hope?

I moved on many years ago! It is a pity,that people start to interpret other people’s words to put a new slant on things. I remember that there was a Beatles’ song that referred to “When mother Nary comes to me”, Catholics swooned with delight thinking this good Catholic boy was honouring Mary,the Mother of God then it was alleged that it actually a code for getting high on drugs! Sigh. Is there no innocence left in the world?

 

[Phemie]

I moved on many years ago! It is a pity,that people start to interpret other people’s words to put a new slant on things. I remember that there was a Beatles’ song that referred to “When mother Nary comes to me”, Catholics swooned with delight thinking this good Catholic boy was honouring Mary,the Mother of God then it was alleged that it actually a code for getting high on drugs! Sigh. Is there no innocence left in the world?

With Cohen’s Hallelujah! it’s not “interpretation”, it’s a simple reading of a certain verse that describes having sex and not knowing what the partner wants. Shriek leaves out that verse, as do Celtic Thunder in their cover of it.

 

[SoulSolace]

From Word on Fire (Fr. Robert Barron) "Catholics are always called to confront sin, even the sins of those closest to them. But they should never spread gossip about other’s sins. Rather, they should go directly to the person who is sinning and try to get them on the right path. The Catholic way of handling problems is by always doing as much to directly fix the problem instead of announcing the problem to the world before fixing it. "

wordonfire.org/WOF-Radio/Sermons/Sermon-Archive-for-2011/Sermon-556-If-Your-Brother-Sins-Against-You.aspx

Of course none of us would break a rule.
The Liturgy and Mass is supposed to be, and should be. held in extreme reverence.
Has anyone spoken to the Father who sang?
The Bible “rule” states that we should.

Matthew 18;15
But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.

God bless.

 

[ProVobis]

Myself, I’m not inclined to think of whether we have 2, 4, or 6 candles lit at Mass and such as one of “God’s rules.”
.

Depends on how you look at it. The Council of Trent made mention of such things as lights, quiet tones, incense, vestments, etc. in the Mass as “apostolica disciplina.”

CHAPTER V.

On the solemn ceremonies of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

And whereas such is the nature of man, that, without external helps, he cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine things; therefore has holy Mother Church instituted certain rites, to wit that certain things be pronounced in the mass in a low, and others in a louder, tone. She has likewise employed ceremonies, such as mystic benedictions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things of this kind, derived from an apostolical discipline and tradition, whereby both the majesty of so great a sacrifice might be recommended, and the minds of the faithful be excited, by those visible signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of those most sublime things which are hidden in this sacrifice.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

With Cohen’s Hallelujah! it’s not “interpretation”, it’s a simple reading of a certain verse that describes having sex and not knowing what the partner wants. Shriek leaves out that verse, as do Celtic Thunder in their cover of it.

Cohen’s Hallelujah had many verses. What I like about Cohen is that he is very honest about his experiences and feelings and yet you can sense his strong belief in God as an undercurrent. Life is hard and confusing but God is with us.

For example this stanza:

" There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah"

That is why I really dislike the priest’s version. Leonard Cohen words are profound. The priest’s words are trite.

 

[John_Lazarus]

Cohen’s Hallelujah had many verses. What I like about Cohen is that he is very honest about his experiences and feelings and yet you can sense his strong belief in God as an undercurrent. Life is hard and confusing but God is with us.

For example this stanza:

" There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah"

That is why I really dislike the priest’s version. Leonard Cohen words are profound. The priest’s words are trite.

Some group did a version of “Hallelujah”, they asked Cohen for the lyrics, and apparently he faxed over about thirty verses, and told them to pick what they wanted – apparently you can make the song hopeful or despairing, with sex or without, etc.

That said, I don’t think Fr Kelly used any of Cohen’s lyrics.

 

[John_Lazarus]

I moved on many years ago! It is a pity,that people start to interpret other people’s words to put a new slant on things. I remember that there was a Beatles’ song that referred to “When mother Nary comes to me”, Catholics swooned with delight thinking this good Catholic boy was honouring Mary,the Mother of God then it was alleged that it actually a code for getting high on drugs! Sigh. Is there no innocence left in the world?

AFAIK, the accepted version is that the song is about Paul’s mother Mary. McCartney explained that his mum — who died of cancer when Paul was fourteen — was the inspiration for the “Mother Mary” lyric. He later said, “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.”
…When asked if the song referred to the Virgin Mary, however, McCartney has typically answered the question by assuring his fans that they can interpret the song however they would like. – Wikipedia

It’s a heckuva stretch to make it a drug song. I think there’s more “evidence” for the “Paul is dead” theory.

 

[Havard]

WO
w, this son of the Church receives more positivity on FB and YouTube than on a Catholic forum!

I guess I am not surprised.

Whoah there. Let’s dissect the situation…

A couple of people have been downright petty on this thread. I will grant you that. Putting down on the priest’s voice, or imputing particular motivations to him (pride)… there’s no call for that.

On the other hand… I think the majority of people are coming at this from the perspective of shock because of their reverence for the Mass. I think it’s perfectly okay to people to vocalize how such a display might be disturbing to them, as long as they don’t jump to making uncharitable assumptions.

Regardless of whether you feel inspired or bewildered by the performance, we should all be able to have a discussion that doesn’t result in turning on or judging each other.

 

[atheistgirl]

That said, I don’t think Fr Kelly used any of Cohen’s lyrics.

Right

He got them from this little girl who wrote the lyrics for her Godmother who was getting married

Lucy Pitts-O’Connor, who is now aged 14, says: "I wanted to make the song personal for my godmother’s wedding.

"Fr Kelly asked for the words and has been singing them ever since.

“My teachers were very shocked and really happy that it has been so big.”

Fr Kelly says: "I was looking at the video of Lucy singing, and it brought back a lot of memories.

Here she is singing at her Godmother’s wedding and Fr Kelly is officiating

youtube.com/watch?v=4pIW4rPpOmw&feature=share&list=UUCmt6HDRPzAHbsjFRthCS1Q

Wow.

All those arguments about whether he should have sung or not

Oh, and whoever said the wedding took place in Northern Ireland - it didn’t. Fr Kelly is the Parish Priest of Old Castle, which is in County Meath. The couple are from Dublin and Tyrone, were staying 10 miles from Old Castle, and asked to get married there.

Sarah x

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Some group did a version of “Hallelujah”, they asked Cohen for the lyrics, and apparently he faxed over about thirty verses, and told them to pick what they wanted – apparently you can make the song hopeful or despairing, with sex or without, etc.

That said, I don’t think Fr Kelly used any of Cohen’s lyrics.

No of course not

 

[CHRISTINE77]

AFAIK, the accepted version is that the song is about Paul’s mother Mary. McCartney explained that his mum — who died of cancer when Paul was fourteen — was the inspiration for the “Mother Mary” lyric. He later said, “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.”
…When asked if the song referred to the Virgin Mary, however, McCartney has typically answered the question by assuring his fans that they can interpret the song however they would like. – Wikipedia

It’s a heckuva stretch to make it a drug song. I think there’s more “evidence” for the “Paul is dead” theory.

Interesting about his mother. I never thought it was a drug song. I love that song actually.