Al Pereira / Getty Images
What do Tupac's last single and a 15th century traditional Catholic prayer have in common? They both happen to have the name "Hail Mary." Apparently the organizers of the 2016 Catholic Joy to the World Festival on December 11 had trouble discerning the difference between the two. Earlier this month, a Twitter user posted images of the festival program, which held printed lyrics to Tupac's posthumous 1997 song "Hail Mary" instead of the words to the prayer.
Held in the capital of Colombo, the Joy to the World Festival is one of the largest Christmas celebrations in Sri Lanka, according to The Independent. The event is also a fundraiser for “poverty alleviation projects” and is branded as "festival of music for peace and harmony." However, Tupac's lyrics don't exactly align with those values; one bar reads: "I ain’t a killer but don’t push me/ Revenge is like the sweetest joy next to gettin’ pussy."
Tupac's "Hail Mary" doesn't hold many similarities to the 15th century prayer, which is much shorter. An English translation of the Catholic Hail Mary prayer reads:
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
View images of the program below.
