Rapping priest releases new CD, says the genre speaks to young

Chello 10-03-2006

He's at it again. Father Stan Fortuna, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal who is known as the "rapping priest," has released his latest CD in the genre.

Eighteen songs, ranging from old-school rap to world beats, make up the new release, which completes the series of rap albums he has released over the past few years.

"Sacro Song 3: The Completion of the Trilogy" deals with a range of topics, from the negative effects visited on fatherless children in "Daddy Wound," and the grip of the culture of death in "Hangin' in There," to a message of peace in "Peace Shout Out," and a tribute to his beloved role model, the late Pope John Paul II, in "I'm Loving You," "The Great One" and "KW."

Throughout the album, the doctrines of the Catholic Church are a consistent thread.

"I continue to do rap music because it's a genre that makes the message intelligible to many young people," Father Stan said in an interview with The Catholic Standard & Times, newspaper of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. "And it even challenges people who don't like the genre, because the rap music affords the message to transcend boundaries and make an impact on the culture."

The new album includes the aspiring young rappers Sean Santiago, youth director of the South Bronx Youth Cultural Center in New York founded by Father Stan, and Glenda Mortoral, who is a member of the center. Their song, "Ima Do Me," deals with their experiences growing up in the inner city of the South Bronx.