Papst Leo I.: Der Chor sollte ein Symbol für die Einheit der Kirche sein.

Celebrating the Jubilee of Choirs on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Leo XIV invited choristers and musicians to rediscover their ministry as a service of love, unity, and synodality within the Church.

Presiding over Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father reflected on the day’s responsorial psalm, noting that the liturgy “invites us… to walk together in praise and joy towards the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.”

Christ’s kingship, he said, is revealed not in power but in self-giving: “His power is love, his throne the Cross,” from which “his Kingdom shines forth upon the world”

Music as an expression of love

Addressing thousands of choristers gathered for their jubilee, Pope Leo XIV said that sacred music is rooted in the mystery of divine love.

“Singing belongs to those who love,” he recalled, citing Saint Augustine. Those who sing, he added, “give expression to love, but also to the pain, tenderness and desire that dwell in their hearts”

The Pope described music as a gift of humanity that conveys what words alone cannot express. In the life of the Church, he said, song becomes “the ‘new song’ that the Risen Christ raises to the Father,” in which the baptised participate as “singers of grace” who manifest “the joy of new life in Christ.”

A synodal choir walks together

Pope Leo XIV encouraged choirs to see their work as a model of ecclesial unity.

Quoting again from Saint Augustine, he invited choristers to “sing while we walk,” like travellers sustained by hope. “Being part of a choir means advancing together… consoling our brothers and sisters in their suffering… and encouraging them when difficulties seem to prevail.”

He also drew upon the writings of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who saw in united voices a symbol of the Church’s harmony: “From your unity and harmonious love, sing to Jesus Christ… taking up the song of God in unison.”

Ministry of prayer, not performance

The Pope reminded choir members that their service is “a true ministry that requires preparation, commitment… and above all, a deep spiritual life” so that they may help others pray through their singing.

He cautioned against turning liturgical music into a performance: “You are not on stage, but rather a part of [the] community,” called to foster unity rather than “ostentation,” which would hinder full participation of the faithful.

The choir, he noted, is “a small family” where tensions may arise, yet it remains “a symbol of the Church, which… walks through history praising God,” even amid trials.

Saint Cecilia

Pope Leo XIV concluded by entrusting all choristers to Saint Cecilia, “who raised the most beautiful song of love through her life… giving herself entirely to Christ.”