U2 News

A communion service based on the music of U2 has become the latest trend for a number of Episcopal churches across the U.S.

The U2Charist--named after the band and the Eucharist communion--weaves songs by the Irish rockers into a church service along with corresponding slides.

Reported by USA Today, the special service was the idea of the Reverend Paige Blair, an Episcopal priest in York Harbor, Maine, who held the first U2Charist at her church on July 31, 2005.

Kicking off with "Pride (In the Name Of Love)," the service also incorporates images from historical civil rights campaigners such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks.

The service has now been held in 150 churches across 15 U.S. states.

Speaking to the newspaper, Rev Blair said that the inherent Christian message in much of U2's material made them perfect for use in church.

She explained: "Bach and Handel were the popular music of their day, and they had trouble getting played in church. The Methodist hymn writers once wrote contemporary music. Are we worshiping Bono? Absolutely not. No more so than we worship Martin Luther when we sing 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.'"

The content of the U2Charist apparently varies from church to church, but a key part is an offering for Bono's campaign to eradicate extreme poverty and global AIDS.

On this, Blair added: "It's a big reason that this has taken off as a movement. It's what Bono and the band are passionate about."