Pope Leo XIV: Choirs Should Be a Symbol of Church Unity

The Jubilee of the Choirs

During the Solemnity of Christ the King (the celebration of the Life of Jesus) on December 1, 2022, Pope Leo XIV requested that all members of the choir reaffirm their commitment to their ministry; they were called to do so through love, unity, and synodality in the Church. The Jubilee of the Choirs was held for this purpose.

At Saint Peter's Basilica while he was officiating Mass, the Pope reflected on the responsorial psalm from Mass and said hi to all by saying, "The purpose of the Liturgy is to call all of us together...to be united in a path of praise and joy while we make our way to meet Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe."

Music and the Mystery of God's Love

According to Reverend Gibbons, Jesus demonstrated His Kingship through sacrifice rather than by authority: "The authority of Jesus Christ has its foundation in love...The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross was the ultimate demonstration of His love...by demonstrating this love throughout the earth, Jesus Christ was establishing His Kingdom on Earth." The concept of Love can also be expressed through Music. During the 10-year celebration of the Gaudete Choir by Pope Leo XIII, he stated that "music has a place within the mystery of God's Love."

Saint Augustine had said: "People who sing are lovers." The singer expresses love with their voice and also all their love's pain, softness, and longing for the person.

According to the papacy, music is a special and strong gift from God designed to express human emotion at its best, and so through song in the Church, music will be developed into Jesus' 'new song' as a means of giving God the father respect for his grace through praise and honour to God, through expressing the joy of new life in Christ as they are baptized.

Choirs as Exemplars of Unity

A choir assembled for the synod processes in unison.

Pope Leo XIV urged choirs to regard their endeavors as exemplars of ecclesiastical unity.

Saint Augustine wrote, "sing while on a journey or trip," going forward, giving support, being supportive to all our brothers and sisters in need, and all those we meet that are hopeless due to their situation.

He also mentioned Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who saw as one of the functions of the Church to have unity in harmony through a single voice: "from your oneness, and your expressing the love you all have for Jesus Christ to one another... as you sing together as the voice of God."

A focus on the ministry of prayer rather than on mere performance

Pope Francis has expressed that members of the choir are serving a "true ministry," and through their participation in the ministry, they are making preparations and commitments to their choir and to creating a deeper experience of spirituality within themselves to assist other worshippers wanting to express their vocal prayer.

He warned that to think about liturgical music as being performed by someone else would lead to confusion, as opposed to seeing yourself as belonging to that community. Therefore, participating in that community means to establish unity and not try to impress others, because in order to get an authentic relationship with that community we should not have a "performance attitude".

He said that this singing group could be thought of as "a little family." There could be disagreements within this family unit; however, the singing group's function as a symbol of the church is eternal and continues to be a connection point for the worship of God despite the potential to experience tough times.

Saint Cecilia

Pope Leo XIV concluded by commending all choristers to Saint Cecilia, “who, throughout her life, offered the most exquisite song of love… dedicating herself wholly to Christ.”