From Okayplayer.com boards.

(Lifted from yahoo news)
Singer Lauryn Hill Blasts Church at Vatican Concert

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.

Right on, sister.

Bad move

PANDURITO said:

I don't think its a bad move, she was being honest about the issue and I respect her 4 that.

However, she should've tried another approach!

Remember Sinead?

You must. You americans crucified her

Somewhere Sinéad is raising her fist in salute.

PANDURITO said:

You equate Hill's rhetoric above with tearing up a picture of the Pope saying "Fight the real enemy"?

Supernova said"

You justify America's reaction to Sinead's freedom of speech?
Or Michael Moore's ?
Or...

What's freedom then?

PANDURITO said:

1. Did I say that?

2. Do you always answer a question with a question?

Supernova said:

Remember yo siggy, Nova

Harlepolis said:

Supernova said:

What you fool?

Yo signature, man!

Harlepolis said:

I know what you meant. Man!

Supernova said:

Actualy, woman lol!

Aight,,,cool.
[This message was edited Sun Dec 14 12:12:50 PST 2003 by Harlepolis]

All these artist should get on a bus with Michael Stipe and Sinead and drive off a cliff. Where have all the good times gone?

realm said:

Dissing the pope followed by suicide isn't a good move...

& &

Good on her! I think her latest music is crap, but respect where respect is due.

She's the new Sinead O'Kojak.

She made a good point.

She made a great point but on a bad occasion. I'm sure no one would want me to interrupt any religious or cultural happing you are having, especially when i am guest, i agreed to attend and am part of the proceedings. Sure she could've said something, but that was pretty harsh and therefore unpolite.

Harlepolis said:

I think what she did is cool and had very good timing. Unfornately for Sinead, she pretty much did the same thing (ok,it was a little more harsh and seen by more people) but nobody really knew what she was talking about. Now that this issue is big, people now that Lauryn is making a good point. And if anything, i don't think that she really cares what happens with her career anymore. If she did. "The Miseducation Too" would have been out years ago.

lauryn is music's biggest loss.

At first I thought this thread was about Hill dissing the song 'Pope'. I would have wholeheartedly agreed with that...lol...
I do not think that making these kind of comments on such an occasion are a wise thing to do.

Dear Lauryn,

You make a good point. Now can you make some new music? Otherwise, I might stop listening...

From: All fans

VoicesCarry said:

Thank you.

I hate to say it, but this b!@#h is crazy.

okaypimpn said:

I don't think she's crazy. What she suffers from is far worse - self-importance.

sinisterpentatonic said:

Damn, I got to give it to her. It's not like she was in NBC studios talking shit. She took it to the stage and their stage on top of that.

Mad Props

I think she was right in what she said...maybe because I'm from a protestant faith, I don't understand the basis or need for a pope

VoicesCarry said:

I love Lauryn Hill,but I've already worn out my copy of 'Miseducation'.If she doesn't give us some new music soon,I'm gonna lose interest.