“The art of music, [ is ] uniquely called to instil hope in the human spirit, so scarred and sometimes wounded by the earthly condition.”
Speech 04.24.08
“It is hard to find words to convey the joy of the soul’s loving encounter with God, yet fine music is able to express something of the mystery of his love for us and ours for him.”
Speech 12.30.10
“Music, great music, relaxes the mind, awakens profound sentiments and is, as it were, a natural invitation to raise one’s mind and heart to God in every situation of human existence, both joyful and sad. Music can become prayer.”
Speech 10.17.09
“The music is capable of opening minds and hearts to the dimension of the spirit and leads people to lift their gaze to the Most High, to open themselves to the absolute Good and Beauty whose ultimate source is in God.”
Speech 04.29.10
“By raising the soul to contemplation, music also helps us grasp the most intimate nuances of human genius, in which is reflected something of the incomparable beauty of the Creator of the universe.”
Speech 04.21.06
“As an art music can be a particularly important way of proclaiming Christ because it succeeds in making his mystery perceptible with an eloquence all its own.”
Speech 02.12.09
“Singing itself is almost like flying, rising up to God; it is in some way an anticipation of eternity when we will be able to “unceasingly sing God’s praise”.”
Speech 10.22.05
“Joyful singing and music is likewise a constant invitation to believers and to all people of good will to work hard to give humanity a future rich in hope.”
Speech 04.29.10
As a priest, monk and composer myself, I find Pope Benedict’s remarks confirm what I always understood to be the spiritual value of great music. So sad that most of contemporary society cannot comprehend this reality, being so flooded with aural pollution that can be hardly be called music, and which often has an undeniably evil influence.