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POPE-AUDIENCE May-21-2008 (450 words) With photos. xxxi
Christian-inspired art, music are living treasures, pope says
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christian-inspired art, architecture and music are not dead artifacts from the past, but are living treasures reflecting the beauty of God and the joy of being a child of God, Pope Benedict XVI said.
The Christian culture is "born out of faith, born from the heart of one who has encountered Christ" and has felt his truth and love, he said.
As long as this "faith stays alive, this cultural heritage does not die, but stays alive and timely," he said during his May 21 general audience.
The pope focused his catechesis on the life and contribution of St. Romanus the Melodist, a sixth-century poet and composer.
He said this patron saint of church singers shows how powerful "symbolic communication" is when it "joins earth to heaven" in the liturgy and "uses imagery, poetry and song to lift our minds to God's truth."
Byzantine icons "are not things from the past," but still "speak to the hearts of believers today," the pope said.
"Cathedrals are not medieval monuments, but houses of life where we are at home encountering God, meeting one another," he said.
"Great music" like that created by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the composers of Gregorian chant, the pope said, is not a thing of the past, but lives on "in the vitality of the liturgy of our faith."
The pope said creativity and innovation that bring in a new Christian culture do not discard Christianity's cultural past, but are part of the same, continuous heritage and represent "one single reality."
"The beauty of God, the joy of being a child of God are present" in all Christian-inspired art, both traditional and modern.
The pope said if one's faith is alive then Christian culture will always be renewed and the faithful will be able to do as one psalmist implores: "Sing to the Lord a new song."
Before delivering his catechesis to thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI hall, Pope Benedict greeted thousands more in St. Peter's Basilica. The more than 15,000 pilgrims could not all fit in one location after torrential morning rains forced the pope's general audience to be held indoors instead of in St. Peter's Square.
In greeting English-speaking groups, the pope made special mention of NATO officers and their families based in Naples, Italy. He asked that NATO's Allied Joint Force Command "contribute to a future of hope for coming generations."
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Editor's Note: The Vatican's text of the pope's remarks in English will be available online at: www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20080521_en.html.
The Vatican's text of the pope's remarks in Spanish will be available online at: www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20080521_sp.html.
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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