Church opposes rap music during Holy Week

Playing an upbeat tune or setting to rap music the sacrifice of Jesus Christ may be cute, especially among the young, but the Catholic Church says it's better to stick to the traditional.

Monsignor Hernando Coronel, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the church finds alteration of the mellow tune of the reading as offensive to the Catholic faith.

"Normally there is a prescribed tune for it but the young have a way of celebrating (it)," said Coronel in an interview.

He explained that the practice, which is basically reading from the Bible about Jesus' crucifixion, should be observed with solemnity. "It's singing events in the Bible. This is a time-honoured practice, it should be respected," said the CBCP spokesman.

Coronel said instead of using rap music, youngsters may well find some other way to observe the Holy Week.