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Skriven 2005-12-27 23:33:28 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

TO THE SISTINE CHAPEL CHOIR: THE LITURGY HAS NEED OF BEAUTY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 22, 2005 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon were the
words pronounced by Benedict XVI at the end of a concert given in the Sistine
Chapel on December 20 by the "Cappella Musicale Pontificia," also known as the
Sistine Choir.

"On the night the Savior was born," the Pope told members of the choir, "the
Angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds with the words: 'Gloria
in excelsis Deo et in terra Pax hominibus.' Tradition has always held that the
angels did not simply speak as men do, but that they sung and that theirs was a
song of celestial beauty revealing the beauty of heaven. Tradition also holds
that choirs of unbroken voices can help us to feel the resonance of angelic
song. And it is true that in the music of Sistine Chapel, in the great
liturgies, we can feel the presence of a celestial liturgy, a small taste of
the beauty by which the Lord wishes to communicate His joy.

"Indeed, praise of God calls for song," said the Holy Father. "For this reason,
your contribution is essential to the liturgy; it is not some marginal
adornment, quite the contrary, the liturgy requires this beauty, it needs song
in order to praise God and to bring joy to the participants."

The Pope concluded: "I would like to thank you with all my heart. The liturgy
of the Pope, the liturgy of St. Peter, must be an exemplary liturgy for the
world. You know that today, through television and radio, many people all over
the world follow this liturgy; from here they learn ... what the liturgy is and
how it must be celebrated. That is why it is so important, not only that our
masters of ceremonies show the Pope how to celebrate the liturgy well, but also
that the Sistine Chapel should be an example of the beauty of song in praise of
God."
AC/SONG:LITURGY/SISTINE CHOIR VIS 051222 (340)

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