Lauryn Hill of the Fugees shocked Catholic officials at a concert by telling them to "repent" and alluding to sexual abuse of children by U.S. priests. It occurred during the recording Saturday night of a Christmas concert. The event was attended by top Vatican cardinals, bishops and many elite of Italian society.

Hill made her comments when taking the microphone to sing at the concert. The same venue and stage is used by Pope John Paul for his weekly general audiences and other events. The Pope wasn't present.

"I did not come here to celebrate the birth of Christ with you but to ask you why you are not in mourning for his death inside this place," she said according to a transcript of her statement run by the Rome newspaper La Repubblica.

"God has been a witness to the corruption of his leadership, of the exploitation
and abuses ... by the clergy," she said.

That was an apparent reference to the sex scandal involving Catholic priests that was making headlines last year.

The organization responsible for the event said it's most likely that Lauryn Hill's appearance will be removed from the show that is aired on Christmas Eve.