The Tragic Life of the Singing Nun

[Cartoonist]

Please read whole article to get the complete picture.

http://www.back2stonewall.com/2018/03/lgbt-history-tragic-life-jeanne-deckers-aka-singing-nun.html

... After she left the convent, her recording company required her to give up her initial professional names of “Sœur Sourire” and “The Singing Nun.” She attempted to continue her musical career under the name “Luc Dominique” and became so frustrated at what she perceived to be the Catholic’s Church failure to fully implement the reforms of the Second Vatican Council that she released a song in 1967 defending the use of contraception called “Glory be to God for the Golden Pill.” This led to an intervention by the Catholic hierarchy in Montreal, Canada, which resulted in one of her concerts being cancelled.
...

The years that followed, the Belgian government claimed that she owed $63,000 in back taxes from the royalties of her music. Deckers countered that they were given to the convent and therefore she was not liable for payment of any personal income taxes. Her former congregation refused to take any responsibility for the debt, claiming both that they no longer had any responsibility for her and that they did not have the funds, and Deckers ran into heavy financial problems. In 1982, she tried, once again as Sœur Sourire, to score a hit with a disco version of “Dominique,” but this last attempt to resume her singing career failed miserably. In addition to the other financial worries, that same year, an autism center for children started by Annie Pécher had to close its doors because of bad debts.

On 29 March 1985, Jeanne Deckers and Annie Pécher committed suicide together by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol.

In their suicide note, Decker and Pécher cited financial difficulties and stated they had not given up their faith and wished to be buried together after a church funeral.
_

Wasn't that nice of her congregation to throw her under the bus?

I know this is old news, but it's a story that resonates. It entered my consciousness recently when I heard or read something about a controversy regarding the lyrics. After checking them out, I didn't see anything of note. Here's the song, but I have to warn you, once you hear it, it will stay with you forever.

&feature=youtu.be

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I never knew that.

I well recall the song "Dominique", and had not known what eventually happened to her. How sad. And how despicable that she was abandoned like that.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. That's so sad.

I remember her well and the sensation that song was. I knew that she had left the convent and then later died, but not all this.

[3catwoman3]

3. We had her LP.

At the time, I could sing along, phonetically, to the chorus. To my surprise, I pretty much still can - as soon as I started reading this, the song bubbles up from the depths of my memory. Haven't a clue what the words mean.

[Karadeniz]

4. I didn't know the whole story. The Catholic church, as an institutions, too often falls short

when it comes to Christian values. Why didn't it intervene in the tax issue? Very disappointing stance. Considering the history of the church and its current evils, I wonder that anyone sticks with it. Habit? Cowardice? A bad tree can't produce good fruit.

[Iggo]

7. "...too often falls short..."

Well, ain't that just the nicest way to put it.

[Karadeniz]

8. Thank you!❤ I didn't want to upset our Catholics by cataloging the offenses against humanity.

[guillaumeb]

5. Dominique fought the Albigensians.

A disco version? That should be a sin. (Humor)

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. "Faught the Albigensians"

That's an interesting way of describing genocide.

[guillaumeb]

10. Mass murder? Yes. Genocide? Not really. eom

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. That makes your gaffe less offensive, I guess.

Or not.

[guillaumeb]

12. It makes my response a reference to the actual lyrics of the actual song.

Which was listened to, and sung, in my school.

But if one is looking for a reason to be offended, anything will do.

[Act_of_Reparation]

13. Some people do find wholesale slaughter offensive.

Some don't, it seems. Or, rather, only when it happens to their people.

[MineralMan]

15. It's OK if they're heretics, though, see?

Filthy Albigensians! Disgusting Cathars!

[trotsky]

16. Are those pictures of the Chinese government persecuting theists?

Yikes!

[MineralMan]

17. I know. Horrible!

[guillaumeb]

19. And who said that?

I would ask for substantiation, however.....

[MineralMan]

20. Popes said that.

C'mon...you knew that. They supported killing heretics. One church; one line of Popes.

[Act_of_Reparation]

21. Not killing heretics, apparently.

But "fighting" them.

And by "fighting", we mean killing.

[guillaumeb]

18. As they should. eom

[Cartoonist]

14. I guess it's not about the lyrics

Just the subject. Another of God's killers.

[Act_of_Reparation]

22. Most historians disagree.

Including Raphael Lemkin, who invented the word. But whatever, we have long established words mean whatever the hell you want them to mean at whatever moment you happen to mean it. So go forth and heartily ice cream yourself.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, a very sad story, indeed.

The church has blame in it, too. A pity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singing_Nun