9th March 2007 (6:45 WST)In a new book of memoirs about his predecessor, Pope Benedict recalls the events of the World Eucharist Congress at Bologna in 1997 when 300,000 young Catholic pilgrims were exposed to the singer’s iconoclastic songs and their “completely different” message.
Pope Benedict wrote: “The Pope appeared tired, exhausted. At that very moment the stars arrived, Bob Dylan and others whose names I do not remember. They had a completely different message from the one which the Pope had. There was reason to be sceptical — I was and in some ways I still am — over whether it was right to allow this type of ‘prophet’ to appear.”
Pope Benedict is known to dislike popular music. He once labelled rock and pop as “anti-Christian” and last year cancelled the Vatican’s Christmas fundraising concert and banned guitars from mass.
At the event in Bologna, Dylan performed four songs including Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall and Blowin’ in the Wind.
After his performance, Dylan — who became a born-again Christian in 1979 and has released two albums of religious songs — greeted John Paul on the podium to roars from the crowd.
The conference proved a great success and John Paul’s popularity with young people rocketed.
Pope Benedict’s new book John Paul II, My Loved Predecessor is published by Edizione San Paulo and will be sold with Catholic newspaper Famiglia Cristiana next week.
Pope tried to stop concert by Bob Dylan
The Pope tried to stop Bob Dylan playing for the late John Paul II because he feared the musician was a "prophet" whose beliefs were at odds with the Roman Catholic Church.
In a new book of memoirs about his predecessor, Pope Benedict recalls the events of the World Eucharist Congress at Bologna in 1997, a gathering of 300,000 young Catholic pilgrims who were to be exposed to the singer's iconoclastic songs and their "completely different" message.
Pope Benedict wrote: "The Pope appeared tired, exhausted. At that very moment the stars arrived, Bob Dylan and others whose names I do not remember.
''They had a completely different message from the one which the Pope had.
"There was reason to be sceptical - I was, and in some ways I still am - over whether it was really right to allow this type of 'prophet' to appear."
Pope Benedict is known to have a strong dislike of popular music.
Last year, he cancelled the Vatican's Christmas fundraising concert and banned guitars from Mass.
Six years ago he labelled rock and pop music "anti-Christian".
At the event in Bologna, Dylan performed four songs, including Knockin' on Heaven's Door, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall and Blowin' in the Wind.
A visibly frail John Paul gave a long sermon based on Blowin' in the Wind.
He told the young Catholics: "On the road of music this evening, Jesus met you. A representative of yours said on your behalf that the answer is blowing in the wind. "Yes, it is true. On the wind there is the voice and breath of the Holy Spirit."
He added: "You asked me: how many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man? I answer you: just one. One only. It is the road of a man.
And this is Jesus Christ, who said 'I am the way'."
After his performance Dylan went to greet John Paul on the podium to roars from the crowd.
The conference proved a great success and John Paul's popularity with young people rocketed.
Dylan became a born-again Christian in 1979 and released two albums of religious songs.
Pope Benedict's new book, John Paul II, my loved predecessor, is published by Edizione San Paulo and will be sold with Famiglia Cristiana, the Catholic newspaper, next week.
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