Pope Leo on Palestrina

by Linda Bordoni

Pope Leo: "Polyphony is a metaphor of faith guided by the Holy Spirit."

On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Pope Leo XIV received members of a Foundation and choir marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great composer and organist, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina whose music continues to nourish the Church and the liturgy today.

Pope 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 June 18, 2025, 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 Pope described the spiritual and liturgical significance of Palestrina's 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.

"His compositions, solemn and austere, inspired by Gregorian chant," Pope Leo said, "fuse music and liturgy in a way that elevates the soul and gives voice to the mystery of the divine."

Music as prayer, unity in diversity

Recalling the composer's role during the Counter-Reformation, the Pope recalled how Palestrina contributed to the Church's efforts to renew and deepen the spiritual life of the faithful through music.

"Polyphony," he said, "is 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," 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.

"This dynamic unity in diversity," Pope Leo continued, "is a metaphor for our shared journey of faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

A living tradition of sacred beauty

The Pope pointed to Palestrina's Missa Papæ Marcelli as a supreme example of sacred polyphony, and also paid homage to Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci, calling him "an unforgettable composer" who carried forward this rich legacy as director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for nearly fifty years.

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

"When liturgical music is inspired by faith and shaped with skill," he said, "it engages voice, mind, and heart. It becomes a path to prayer." A call to walk and sing

Finally, the Pope thanked the Foundation, the choir, and all those present and invoked the words of Saint Augustine, who urged Christians to keep walking forward in hope: "Sing, but walk! Do not stray from the road. Do not turn back. Do not stop."

The Pope 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.

"Let us sing and walk," he concluded. "Let us build bridges of beauty and faith."

Article written 18 June 2025