Archbishop Battles AC/DC at Gates of Death

13 September 2010
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In Australia, The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne has banned the use of pop music at funerals, according to The New York Times.

Archbishop Denis Hart (pictured below) has said the act of playing pop songs is not considered “a celebration of the life” of the deceased.

The new guidelines state: “Secular items are never to be sung or played at a Catholic funeral, such as romantic ballads, pop or rock music, political songs, football club songs.”

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The Melbourne Hearld Sun reported that football songs are popular at many funerals, in addition to pop hits. Although Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and Bette Midler’s “The Wind Beneath My Wings” are often requested, the newspaper reported that quirkier choices like AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” and Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” also had been popular before the ban.

A Catholic Church spokesman has said reaction to the Archbishop’s ban has been mixed in Melbourne, according to the BBC.

Source: gibson.com