The Vatican has finally forgiven The Beatles for John Lennon‘s infamous 1996 claim that the band were “bigger than Jesus“.

The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, carried an article praising the group and saying that due to the beauty of their songs the Jesus comment was “meaningless”.

“It’s true, they took drugs; swept up by their success, they lived dissolute and uninhibited lives,” the article reads. “They even said they were more famous than Jesus. But, listening to their songs, all of this seems distant and meaningless.”

The article adds: “Their beautiful melodies, which changed forever pop music and still give us emotions, live on like precious jewels.” The band were described as “the longest-lasting, most consistent and representative phenomenon in the history of pop music”.

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