Patti Smith to Perform at Vatican Christmas Concert

In her song “Gloria”, Patti Smith famously and controversially proclaimed “Jesus died for somebody’s sins/But not mine” – but that hasn’t precluded her from performing in front of Cardinals and Bishops in Rome. The Holy See has announced that Smith will play at the Concerto di Natale, the official Vatican Christmas Concert, on December 13; the performance, to be held at Rome’s Auditorium Conciliazione, will also be broadcast live on television.

This is not the first time Smith has had a run-in with the papacy in recent months. The International Business Times points out that the singer and Pope Francis met and shook hands at St. Peter’s Square last April. Not all reactions have been positive, however: Portosalvo, a notable Catholic organization, hopes to prevent Smith from performing her December 9 concert at the nearby Basilica of San Giovanni Maggiore in Naples, an event they call “blasphemous”, The International Business Times reports.

According to the Concerto di Natale’s official website, other acts on the bill include house DJ Bob Sinclair, Cleveland musician CeCe Rogers, and a “singing nun” from Italy named Sister Christina Scuccia), among others. 

Watch a live 1979 performance of “Gloria”:

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