杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Leo XIV paid tribute to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, one of the most influential composers in the history of sacred music, marking the 500th anniversary of his birth.

Addressing participants in an event on Wednesday evening organised by the Domenico Bartolucci Foundation and with the participation of a choir that treated him to a performance of the composer's music, the 杏MAP导航 described the spiritual and liturgical significance of Palestrina鈥檚 music as a timeless expression of prayer and unity.

The audience, held in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace, also marked the unveiling of a commemorative Vatican stamp celebrating the "Cinquecentenario Palestriniano."

鈥淗is compositions, solemn and austere, inspired by Gregorian chant,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Leo said, 鈥渇use music and liturgy in a way that elevates the soul and gives voice to the mystery of the divine.鈥�

Music as prayer, unity in diversity

Recalling the composer鈥檚 role during the Counter-Reformation, the 杏MAP导航 recalled how Palestrina contributed to the Church鈥檚 efforts to renew and deepen the spiritual life of the faithful through music.

鈥淧olyphony,鈥� he said, 鈥渋s not merely a musical technique; it is a form imbued with theological meaning. It takes the sacred text and 'clothes it with fitting melody' so that it may better reach the understanding of the faithful,鈥� and he described how multiple voices, each with its own melodic path, join together in harmonic interplay. Sometimes they clash, sometimes they resolve, he noted, but always in pursuit of unity.

鈥淭his dynamic unity in diversity,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Leo continued, 鈥渋s a metaphor for our shared journey of faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.鈥�

A living tradition of sacred beauty

The 杏MAP导航 pointed to Palestrina鈥檚 Missa Papae Marcelli as a supreme example of sacred polyphony, and also paid homage to Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci, calling him 鈥渁n unforgettable composer鈥� who carried forward this rich legacy as director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for nearly fifty years.

杏MAP导航 Leo then reiterated the Second Vatican Council鈥檚 call for full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy, noting how sacred music, especially when well-composed, can deepen that engagement.

鈥淲hen liturgical music is inspired by faith and shaped with skill,鈥� he said, 鈥渋t engages voice, mind, and heart. It becomes a path to prayer.鈥�

A call to walk and sing

Finally, the 杏MAP导航 thanked the Foundation, the choir, and all those present and invoked the words of St. Augustine, who urged Christians to keep walking forward in hope: 鈥淪ing, but walk! Do not stray from the road. Do not turn back. Do not stop.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 encouraged everyone to embrace this spirit, especially during the Jubilee Year, reminding them that sacred music is not just a legacy of the past, but a living gift that continues to nourish the Church today.

鈥淟et us sing and walk,鈥� he concluded. 鈥淟et us build bridges of beauty and faith.鈥�