Tom Leher and...

[Montie_Claunch]

Some timeago my mom (whom isn’t Catholic) had gotten me a c.d. of Tom Leher (I think I spelled the name right) in which one of the songs was “The Vatican Rag”. It is nothing bad or Anti-Catholic (that I noticed, just a comedian singing about the Catholic Church). Anyhow I was about to suggest it to someone then I thought that the Church might frown on such music (I have heard Leaders of Various Churches frown apon contemporary Music, though this song was back during the Vatican !! council). Does the church have a postiion on such music?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I think it would be inappropriate for use in Church. However, for anyone who was around during Vatican II, it brings back a lot of memories. I don’t see anything mean or disrespectful in it.

 

[dafalax]

Well, i guess it would depend on what you mean by a comedian singing about the Catholic Church. Contemporary Christian music isn’t frowned on unless it is anti-Catholic, and i don’t think the Church is against contemporary music unless it has a morally questionable message. Is the singer in any way making light of the Church, and if so in what respect?

 

[Montie_Claunch]

dafalax:

Well, i guess it would depend on what you mean by a comedian singing about the Catholic Church. Contemporary Christian music isn’t frowned on unless it is anti-Catholic, and i don’t think the Church is against contemporary music unless it has a morally questionable message. Is the singer in any way making light of the Church, and if so in what respect?

Here is some of the Lyrics

“Get into that long processional,
kneel into that small confessional,
there the guy who has religion will
tell you if your sins original
if it is try playing it safer
drink the wine chew the wafer
2,4,6,8,
time to transubstantiate,”

Does this sound permissable or should it be left?

 

[John_Taylor]

I’ve heard the song you’re speaking of…I don’t know the answer to your question. It’s meant to be humorous but I would consider it’s treatment of the Eucharist to be irreverent and possibly blasphemous. I think it’s fine to poke fun at the human failings among Catholics but not about the Sacred things we have from God.

The Vatican Rag (by Tom Lehrer)

(spoken) Another big news story of the year concerned the ecumenical council in Rome, known as Vatican II. Among the things they did, in an attempt to make the church more… commercial, was to introduce the vernacular into portions of the Mass to replace Latin, and to widen somewhat the range of music permissible in the liturgy. But I feel that if they really want to sell the product in this secular age, what they ought to do is to redo some of the liturgical music in popular song forms. I have a modest example here; it’s called The Vatican Rag!

(sung) First you get down on your knees,
Fiddle with your rosaries,
Bow your head with great respect,
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!

Do whatever steps you want if
You have cleared them with the Pontiff.
Everybody say his own
Kyrie eleison,
Doin’ the Vatican Rag.

Get in line in that processional,
Step into that small confessional.
There the guy who’s got religion’ll
Tell you if your sin’s original.
If it is, try playin’ it safer,
Drink the wine and chew the wafer,
Two, four, six, eight,
Time to transubstantiate!

So get down upon your knees,
Fiddle with your rosaries,
Bow your head with great respect,
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!

Make a cross on your abdomen,
When in Rome do like a Roman;
Ave Maria,
Gee, it’s good to see ya.
Gettin’ ecstatic an’ sorta dramatic an’
Doin’ the Vatican
Rag!

 

[Montie_Claunch]

John Taylor:

I’ve heard the song you’re speaking of…I don’t know the answer to your question. It’s meant to be humorous but I would consider it’s treatment of the Eucharist to be irreverent and possibly blasphemous. I think it’s fine to poke fun at the human failings among Catholics but not about the Sacred things we have from God.

That is what I was currious about. I don’t to listen to or encourage anyone to if that de the case.