The forgiveness was part of an editorial published in Vatican publication L’Osservatore Romano regarding the 40th anniversary of the band’s influential White Album, according to the U.K.’s Telegraph.

“The talent of Lennon and the other Beatles gave us some of the best pages in modern pop music, “ the editorial said, and Lennon’s notorious quip “after so many years sounds like an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success,” wrote the Vatican publication.

Christians at the time were outraged at Lennon’s arrogance and burned piles of Beatles albums, while radio stations stopped playing the band’s music.

The Telegraph said that 12 years later, Lennon said he was thankful for the furor he caused, saying his life with the Beatles “had become a trap.”