Update (12/27/08) We now have the full Italian L'Osservatore Romano article with the Lennon mentions. (Thanks to onovox.) We can't reprint the entire thing (it's very long) and the Babelfish translation of the Italian is awful. Still, here are a couple of bits of it in Italian and as translated to give you an idea. (apologies for the bad translation):

"I Beatles sono più famosi di Gesù Cristo": la frase pronunciata da John Lennon, che suscitò profonda indignazione soprattutto negli Stati Uniti, dopo tanti anni suona solo come la "spacconata" di un giovanottone della working class inglese alle prese con un inatteso successo, dopo essere cresciuto nel mito di Elvis e del rock'n'roll. Eppure al talento di Lennon e degli altri tre Beatles si devono alcune delle migliori pagine della musica leggera moderna. Solo canzonette, diranno i detrattori non senza una punta di snobismo. Tutto vero. Nessuno può pensare ai Beatles come a dei geni assoluti della composizione e neppure, in fondo, come a dei virtuosi dei rispettivi strumenti. Ma resta il fatto che dopo 38 anni dallo scioglimento, le canzoni con il marchio Lennon-McCartney, hanno mostrato una straordinaria resistenza all'usura del tempo, divenendo fonte di ispirazione per più di una generazione di musicisti pop.

The Beatles is more famous than Jesus Cristo": the pronounced phrase gives John Lennon, that it provoked deep indignation above all in United States, after many years sound solo like the " spacconata" of one giovanottone of the working class English to the taken ones with an unexpected one succeeding, after to be grown in the myth of Elvis and the rock' n' roll. Nevertheless to the talent of three Lennon and the others Beatles must some of the best pages of modern light music.

But the fact remains that after 38 years from issolution, the songs with the Lennon-McCartney brand, has shown an extraordinary resistance all' usury of the time, becoming source of inspiration in order more of a generation than musicians.

(Update (11/30/2008)

Hi Steve:

Just wanted to add a little historical clarification to Rip Rense’s piece on the Vatican’s “pardon” of John Lennon for the “Jesus remark”.

First off, Rip gives the impression that the world press of the day immediately filled with headlines regarding the Lennon remark. Not true. When Maureen Cleave’s interview with John appeared in the London Evening Standard on March 4, 1966, there was virtually no reaction at all in England. I’ve remarked before in Beatlefan that the average reader of that paper probably read Lennon’s thoughts on Christianity, sighed, muttered “that cheeky Lennon”, and turned to the financial pages. It wasn’t until that July, when Datebook Magazine published excerpts from the interview and, out of context, accentuated the “we’re more popular than Jesus now” line that the controversy flared up, Also, Rip claims, twice in the same line at that, that The Beatles had stopped touring by the time of the Cleave interview. Wrong again. The controversy began in, of all places, the Bible Belt, where segregation was still being practiced two years after the passage of the civil rights bill, shortly before the start of what would be The Beatles’ final tour of America but they still had a summer full of touring to go through at the time of the interview.

Otherwise, Rip is correct about the ridiculousness of the Vatican’s statement. Even a cursory read of the complete context of Lennon’s remarks on religion in the Cleave interview clearly shows that he wasn’t boasting, that he was making, for 1966, completely valid comments on the state of Christianity at that moment in time. This was before Jesus freaks, before “Jesus Christ Superstar”, before “Godspell”, a time when religion was thought to be irrelevant. Plus, with Lennon no longer present in our earthly life, why does he need to be “pardoned”? The Vatican hierarchy might be better served by working on more important matters.

Anyway, just wanted to set the historical record straight on this matter and Rip’s thoughts on it.

Cheers,
Al Sussman

Thanks, Al. Much obliged for the clarification. I wasn’t aware that it was several months before all the headlines broke out after the Cleave interview. And of course, I goofed big-time on the tour issue. I clearly remember that they toured the USA during all the Beatle bashing by so-called “Christians.” Still, it’s a matter of record that the group was, with the possible exception of McCartney, deeply disgusted with touring by that time. So I hope that point still serves to undercut the Vatican’s ridiculous contention about Lennon being drunk with fame. --- Rip

Update (11/26/08)

Update (11/25/08)

(11/23/08)