The Vatican Listens to Tupac

The Vatican has contributed a playlist of its favorite songs for their newly launched MySpace page, which includes a very surprising artist; Tupac Shakur.

The playlist, which the Vatican's page calls "a perfect mix of classical, world and contemporary music," features predictably devotional and classical choices, along with several "hip" selections. Along with Tupac's 'Changes,' which appeared on his 1998 'Greatest Hits' album, songs by Fleet Foxes, Muse and soul legend Shirley Bassey also make the cut.

"The genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good-minded people," The Vatican stated on its page. "Changes" is listed on the page with an "explicit" warning, due to its violent language and imagery, including lines like, "Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares, one less hungry mouth on the welfare."

The list was put together by Father Giulio Neroni, artistic director for St. Paul's Multimedia, a church publisher. Check out the full list after the jump. Never thought we'd see the Vatican endorse a gangster rapper, C. Delores Tucker would be scandalized.

1. 'Advocata Nostra,' Music From The Vatican. From the album 'Alma Mater' featuring the voice of Pope Benedict XVI.
2. 'Uprising,' Muse. Single from the album, 'The Resistance.'
3. 'Causa Nostrae Laetitiae,' Music From The Vatican. From the album 'Alma Mater.'
4. 'Il Mare Mi Salva,' Rossomalpelo. Song from the band led by contemporary Italian singer songwriter Serge Gaggiotti
5. 'After The Rain,' Dame Shirley Bassey. From the album 'The Performance.'
6. 'Coexist,' Nour Eddine. Song from Moroccan Musician, based in Italy.
7. 'Don Giovanni,' Mozart.
8. 'Rafaele Merry Del Val,' Lorenzo Perosi Inni Mottetti e Canzoni, Pablo Colino & Coro Academica Filarmonica Romana.
9. 'He Doesn't Know Why,' Fleet Foxes.
10. 'Changes,' Tupac Shakur.
11. 'Regina Coeli,' Music From The Vatican. From the album 'Alma Mater.'
12. 'Mi sarete Testimoni,' Santo Subito! (DVD). Music DVD embodying the voice and image of The Pope.