MUSIC NEWS- Some 40 years ago, some Christians were infuriated by the Beatles' claim that they were "more popular than Jesus". Now, the Roman Catholic Church has made peace with the group! In Saturday's edition of the Vatican's official newspaper, the paper absolves John Lennon of his famous remark, saying that "after so many years it sounds merely like the boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success". In a lengthy editorial marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' famous White Album, L'Osservatore Romano bestows lavish praise on the group.

"The talent of Lennon and the other Beatles gave us some of the best pages in modern pop music," said the newspaper, which has recently tried to drop its stuffy image by covering popular culture events such as the Oscars and inviting articles from Muslim and Jewish contributors. Only "snobs" would dismiss the Beatles' songs, which had shown "an extraordinary resistance to the effects of time, providing inspiration for several generations of pop musicians", said the newspaper, regarded as the Vatican's official paper. It was in March 1966 that Lennon made his infamous claim. See full report here from the Telegraph/UK.