Evviva Il Papa

"Evviva Il Papa"
Song by Hugo Raspoet
from the album Raspoet
Language	Dutch
Released	1971
Recorded	1969
Genre	Easy listening
Length	4:42
Label	Disques Vogue
Songwriter(s)	Hugo Raspoet
Producer(s)	Roland Verlooven

"Evviva Il Papa" is a 1969 protest song by Belgian singer Hugo Raspoet, which caused controversy and a media ban for criticizing the Pope and the Vatican. Alongside "Helena" it is Raspoet's second most famous song.

Lyrics

In 1969, Raspoet wrote the song "Evviva Il Papa", which criticized the Pope's conservative ideology, papal infallibility, corruption, ban on anticonception and Pius XII's alleged silence during World War II, when the Nazis prosecuted Jewish people. ^[1]

Controversy

The song was banned from radio and TV airplay and Raspoet was often forbidden to perform it on stage. ^{[1] [2] [3]} When he ignored the ban and tried to perform it one time in Borgerhout the police forced him to leave the stage. ^{[1] [4] [5]} Johan Anthierens, who had a radio show about chanson, protested the ban by not playing the record on the air, but reading its lyrics to the listeners. He was still fired nevertheless. ^[6]

References

1. "Hugo Raspoet - Het Belgisch Pop & Rock Archief". Houbi.com. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
2. "Kleinkunstzanger Hugo Raspoet, bekend van 'Helena', overleden". Hln.be. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
3. "Kleinkunstzanger Hugo Raspoet overleden". Standaard.be. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
4. "Muziekarchief.be: De geboorte van het Vlaamse chanson - Hugo Raspoet". Muziekarchief.be. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
5. "Kleinkunstzanger Hugo Raspoet (77) is overleden". Vrtnws.be. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
6. Lauwaert, Guido (2018-11-14). Alvorens alles vervaagt: Memoires. VBK - Houtekiet. ISBN   9789089246905.