Michael Jackson turns holier than thou over request to put papal prayers to music

CONTROVERSIAL pop star Michael Jackson has been asked by a Catholic record company to put the prayers of late pontiff John Paul II to music, according to reports circulating yesterday.

The 24 prayers and chants were written by the late Pope and the plan is to record a CD of them featuring various international pop stars, including Jackson.

A spokesman for the religious record label behind the project, Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millenio, which is associated with the Vatican, said they had the rights to the papal prayers and Michael Jackson was very interested in the project.

Father Giuseppe Moscati said: “We had hoped the fact that we have been in contact with Michael Jackson would remain a secret. But sadly it has leaked out ahead of time. We are in discussions and trying to sort it out.

“As a celebrity he is perhaps a bit remote from the teachings contained in the Pope’s prayers. But if he can help us put together a group of singers that fulfil the criteria of the project then we’ll study the proposal,” added Fr Moscati.

Jackson has twice faced allegations of child molestation. In 1993, he was accused of molesting Jordy Chandler, aged 13 at the time. But the child refused to testify and prosecutors did not pursue the case. A later civil action was settled out of court.

Jackson faced the courts again in recent years, also for child molestation.

However, after a high-profile, five-month trial in California, he was acquitted last June of all charges.

But despite the Catholic Church’s own worldwide controversies with child abuse cases, Fr Moscati is dismissive of Jackson’s controversial past, seeing it as no barrier to the project.

“He was cleared and found not guilty by a jury,” Fr Moscati said.

A spokeswoman for Jackson confirmed that approaches had been made to Jackson. She said he was contacted to work on some music “about a year ago”, but that “because he was in trial at the time, he was not able to focus on it.”

Vatican officials said yesterday they were unaware of any contacts with the 47-year-old singer.