Blasphemy in once Catholic Cathedral

Shocking remarks: the Canton regrets some of the lyrics used by a choir

A concert at the Festival de la Cité in Lausanne shocked some of the audience in the cathedral on Saturday evening.

The text of the song "Ejaculate" has caused controversy.

The comments made at the cathedral by the Hot Bodies choir, led by gender-neutral artist Gérald Kurdian, did not please everyone on Saturday. The song 'Ejaculate', with its explicit lyrics, was particularly out of place within the walls of the building, according to some witnesses. Above all, the performance by the feminist and queer group as part of the Festival de la Cité seems to have contravened the regulations governing the use of the place of worship. Article 8 stipulates that the nature of the event must not only be in harmony with the spirit of the place but also be devoid of any polemical or political character.

When contacted, the Canton pointed out that "some of the terms used in the songs performed during this show lack nuance and are ill-suited to the venue. We also regret that some people were shocked by the use of such terms inside the cathedral".

"No way of knowing what the choir was going to sing"

Jean-Luc Schwaar, Director General of the Department of Institutions, Territory and Sport, points out that "authorisation was given on the basis of general information provided by the festival management and the viewing of videos made available on the festival website. However, we were not provided with the song lyrics, which we understand were written at a later date. So we had no way of knowing what this choir was going to sing during their show.

Martine Chalverat, Director of the Festival de la Cité, points out that "the lyrics of the songs were written during a workshop, the fruit of collaboration with the Festival artistique des affects, des genres et des sexualités de Lausanne (FdS)". She also felt that the concert was joyful and that the messages conveyed, particularly in the song "Ejaculate", were full of tolerance and inclusivity and in no way blasphemous. "The aim was not to offend the sensibilities of the audience", she said. A conviction not necessarily shared by some spectators. For example, a man in his fifties felt that the choice of the cathedral and the date of the concert (7pm on a Saturday) were no accident.

Source

Cathcon: As ever, "tolerance and inclusivity" is an excuse for blasphemy and perversion.  The Cathedral was Catholic until the Reformation.  It is now run by Protestants and they are not doing a good job.