Three singing priests have reached paradise by chasing popular singer Cristophe Mae from it’s No. 1 position in the French Album Top 50. The album Spiritus Dei of ‘Les prêtres‘ (The Priests), a trio formed by two priests and a seminarian from the diocese of Gap (South of France), was released in late March and has already sold 100,000 copies. The group draws inspiration from their Irish colleagues, The Priests, who are having success worldwide. The album is a mix of popular songs and liturgical chants. Seemingly effortless, the singers of heaven zap from Ave Maria to Jacques Brel.
In an era where the Catholic Church is facing new scandals of sexual abuse almost daily, this surprise success comes as a blessing. Moreover, the ‘eldest daughter of the Church’, as Catholic France is usually called, has launched a new campaign this week called “Why Not Me?“, aiming to recruit future priests.
The pious Boys Band will give concerts on May 11 and 19 June in the Saint-Roch in Paris and in Rheims on June 20 (tickets available on the site of the FNAC). The devout fans can buy and download Spiritus Dei on Amazon.fr. It is unknown whether the revenues will be used to fund compensation for victims of sexual abuse. One thing however is certain: some of the profits will be used to build a new church in the Hautes-Alpes and for the financing of a school in Madagascar.
