The Vatican bans Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury from Christmas concert.

The Vatican on Friday defended its decision to exclude Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury from its Christmas concert, saying she had threatened to promote the use of condoms to fight AIDS during the show.

"The Vatican decided to exclude Daniela Mercury from the cast not because of her convictions about contraceptives even if they are not in agreement those of the Catholic Church," said Father Giuseppe Bellucci, a priest who organized the show.

"She was excluded because she had announced that at the concert she would openly promote the use of condoms to fight the plague of AIDS," he told a news conference presenting the benefit concert, to be held on Saturday night.

Mercury, who is an ambassador for UNICEF and the U.N. anti-AIDS program, had been invited to sing several songs as part of an international cast that includes South African singer Miriam Makeba and Ireland's Dolores O'Riordan. . . . . .Full Story