Faith in music
Choirs from all over the world gathered at the Vatican
More than 8 thousand singers and musicians and sacred and liturgical music experts from throughout the world gathered at the Vatican for the Third International Meeting of the Choirs, on the occasion of the feast of Santa Cecilia. The event is organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization in collaboration with Nova Opera ONLUS.
The conference, to be held in the Paolo VI Hall: “Music in the Liturgy and Catechesis for the New Evangelization”, moderated by Monsignor Marco Frisina, biblist and composer, director of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome. “In all Christian communities,” says Monsignor Frisina to Vatican News, “music in the liturgy and catechesis is a very important moment for communicating faith. And perhaps it is now the most immediate form of communication of faith: there is no need for translations, it touches both the mind and the heart and in prayer, as in the proclamation, it is an extraordinary instrument that the Lord can use to reach, to meet the men and women of our times.”
As a councillor of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Monsignor Frisina notes that “new evangelization music has an important role, as with all the arts. The world today is deaf to many appeals but is still sensitive to beauty and music, especially the younger generations. “I believe,” he added “that we can use this powerful tool – music – to communicate the faith in a new way, a different but at the same time traditional way.” The Church has always used music, especially in the liturgy.
I think that with the new forms of communication, including the internet, music can reach many people, even non-believers.” Pope Francis has repeatedly said that sacred music in the liturgy is not a matter of aesthetics but an expression of faith. “Music,” continues Monsignor Frisina “is not just entertainment, is comes from the heart. Therefore, for a Christian it is an expression of faith, as is everything he expresses through his life”.
During the meeting testimonies of singers, students and musicians from, among other places, the United States of America, Brazil, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Iraq, Mexico, China, Vietnam and Turkey will alternate with speeches. Speakers include Don Óscar Valado Domínguez, a Santiago de Compostela priest and the Spanish Episcopal Conference Head of Music. “The Liturgy for all of us,” he tells Vatican News, “it is the celebration of our faith. For this reason everything that we sing at Mass should be an expression of our faith, the Word of God being its reference.” The choirs at the Vatican is for Don Valado “a true meeting of the brotherhood: there are many people from all the continents gathered at the Vatican to celebrate their faith, sing together, find a place of unity. The Church asks us to have faith, even in something that may seem to be unimportant, but the music of the Liturgy is decisive. The Council tells us, in essence, that the purpose of liturgical music is to glorify God and to sanctify men.”
Authors: Giada Aquilino - Città del Vaticano