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What’s it to you?

Louie,

A traditional (sorta) reaction to YouTube sensation Fr. Ray Kelly, Ireland’s singing priest…

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Comments (22)

  1. Somewhere, Paul Simon is going into emergency strategy sessions with his producers and financial advisers! (Yeah, Princess Leia cost him a bundle and he was starting to recover. But … now…. THIS!)

    Louie, as a friendly ecumenical gesture, have Paul do a couple duets with you in Central Park this summer. Heck, have Elvis Costello pop in, too. Their sales are going to plummet once word gets out about you.

  2. As I awaited the surprise that brought the bride to tears, I thought it was going to be a scolding for the strapless bridesmaids’ dresses.

  3. The most amazing thing is that 99% of those commenting on that priest’s ridiculous performance are blind to the fact that anything at all might be wrong with it. Such is today’s nearly universal diabolical disorientation.

  4. Hello from Ireland.
    The priest singing on the video was interviewed a few hours ago on one of Ireland’s prime TV entertainment shows.
    After working for several years in the public service in this country, he enrolled to study for the priesthood in his mid 20’s and was therefore ordained in his late 20’s / early 30’s.
    Actually the couple that he married were also featured on tonight’s show and they said that they felt that the priest’s singing added to their wedding ceremony.
    This may not be popular to say this here but I think the “controversy” over this is a trivial issue. That is just my opinion.

  5. The original song makes me cringe, and the wedding version made my skin crawl–I lasted only through his first couple of lines. But I love your lyrics. Priceless! I am so sorry our Churches have become entertainment venues for would-be singing stars, tango experts, and clowns, with no thought of the great Reality that actually occurs and dwells in them.

  6. Whilst not the worst abuse I’ve seen at a Mass in Ireland, this is quite dreadful. Just imagine, not with-standing the strapless dresses, a priest taking upon himself to ‘surprise’/upstage the bride at a wedding Mass? Of course, the New Mass was not ‘given’ as such, rather a fabrication, so it is a natural consequence that folks will add/subtract to the Sacred Liturgy… according to their whims and preferences. Don’t like the Creed? Don’t bother! Like ditties? Sure, take your pick. The smug wink from the priest at the end of his performance says it all really. I am glad I wasn’t there. Such diabolical disorientation indeed.

  9. dear AlphonsusJr.,
    precisely, and it’s good you said it.
    May God have Mercy on us all.
    dear Mr. V., well, you made me weep again.
    I loved this vid, no shmaltz.
    onward.

  11. Here is my transcription of the lyrics. There is one line I am not sure of, where I have added a question mark in brackets.
     

    First verse:
    I heard there was a singin’ priest,
    Stole the show at a wedding feast,
    The video had gone viral on YouTube.
    It floated round my Facebook page,
    And most my friends expressed outrage,
    The neocons all countered, “What’s it to ya?”
     

    Refrain: 
    “What’s it to ya?” (4 times)
     

    Second verse:
    There was a time when we used to know,
    The sacred rites are not for show,
    But Latin and the reverence just confused ya.
    You’d rather have performance art,
    Where everybody plays a part,
    The smoke of Satan runnin’ through and through ya.
     

    Refrain:
    “What’s it to ya?” (4 times)
     

    Third verse:
    The faith is lost,
    We see the proof,
    You clapped your hands,
    You raised the roof,
    The beauty of tradition wouldn’t do ya.
    It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth (?)
    The shameful Mass of Paul VI,
    And Jesus Christ will say, “I never knew ya”.
     

    Refrain:
    “What’s it to ya?” (3 times)
    “Never knew ya”.

  12. dear Dumb_ox,
    now, what you did—— THAT was brilliant ! Thank you !
    —
    thanks again Mr. V.–this is really a classic {in its own way.}

  13. Dumb_Ox,
    –
    Thanks for the transcription of the lyrics. I’m never very good at catching the words of the song as my mind is too busy listening to the melody and harmony.
    The lyrics really struck me as truly excellent and even profound.

  14. Salvemur,
    –
    WOW. That piece of news is quite a bit of a shocker to say the least. If Francis stays at the helm for long enough, we may very well see episcopal conferences giving the green light to married priests. Another step towards collegiality… Communion for public adulterers, married priests, devolving legitimate papal authority to the bishops (collegiality), Francis stating something along the lines that “Orthodox theology is very rich”, OK I definitely see a certain pattern…

  15. The original video is dreadful, with the problem being two-fold. First, it’s obviously an abuse, even by the standards given in the Ordinary Form of the rite. There is just no place for a priest to be singing anything other than the Gospel or other parts of the Mass. This is liturgical abuse, plain and simple. Second, the that the Mass, for so many of the faithful, is all about feelings and entertainment. The priest made the couple* feel* special and he was entertaining; therefore, “He is a good priest who did a loving thing for the couple.” On the other hand, priests who follow the rubrics and who don’t sing secular songs at weddings, are evil, rigid, rubricists, who are wicked and unloving.

  17. @Edu – yep, the ‘pattern’ is plain, and not particularly Apostolic, or Holy, or Catholic.
    –
    Well said, FrA.
    –
    i have to add that ‘what’s it too ya’ as a rhyme for the original word worthy of high poetics.

  18. I’m not usually a commenter (though I enjoy reading the insightful comments of others), but I just want to say that I’m really enjoying these videos, and this is my favorite! It’s perfect.

  19. I thought it was beautiful!!! And it was done after the Mass was ended. Doesn’t Hallelujah mean praise God? Father Ray has been doing this for years in his diocese. This was an arranged surprise, by friends, for the bride and groom and since the Mass was concluded, I see nothing wrong.

  20. if they had arranged it the party afterwards, fine. no sense of the sacred. if you just don’t get it and don’t want to get it, then you just won’t ever get it. secular secular secular. next wedding forget the post church reception just have it all in one – just do everything one would normally do in the tent before the altar. how’s that?

  22. You have a gift Louie but I wish you wouldn’t use it on these side show issues.
    Cheers!

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