REMARKS OF THE HOLY FATHER
AFTER THE CONCERT TO MARK
THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF HIS PONTIFICATE, 4/24/08
Here is a translation of the remarks given by the Holy Father at the end of a cocnert held in Aula Paolo VI Thursday evening, April 24 ,to mark the third annviersary of his Pontificate. The concert was offered by President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy.
The Giuseppe Verdi Sympony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir of Milan performed music by Berio, Brahms, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.
Mr. President,
Lord Cardinals,
Venerated brothers in the episcopate asnd priesthood,
Ladies and gentlemen!
At the end of this splendid concert, it is my pleasure to address my heartfelt greetings to all of you who have taken part: civil and military authorities, illustrious personages, and friemds who came to share this moment of high cultural value.
I wish above all to express my sincere acknowledgment to the President of the Iralian REpublic, the Honorable Giorgio Napolitano, who on the occasion of the third anniversary of my Pontificate, has offered me this gift, along with expressions of fine courtesy that I appreciate very much.
Thank you, Mr. President, for this thoughtful and deferential act which I have received with great pleasure! In it I also see the great affection that the Italian people have for me as the Pope. I extend my greetings to your kind spouse and to your co-workers.
Certain that I speak for everyone present, I address a sincere acclamation to the Giuseppe Verdi Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choir of Milan, who, under the notable direction of Mr. Oleg Caetani, have performed and sung with extraordinary talent great effect. I extend my appreciation as well to the choirmaster, Madame Erina Gamarini.
I express heartfelt gratitude to the directors of the meritorious Giussepe Verdi Foundation, and encourage them to continue the prestigious artistic and cultural course they have undertaken, which I know is much appreciated, including their commitment to bring music to help alleviate conditions of human difficulty as in hospitals and prisons.
And of course, my acknowledgment also goes to all who contributed to the organization and realization of this inspiring event, supporting it in various ways.
We had the joy of listening with attentive participation to demanding concert pieces by Luciano Berio, Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven.
I am happy to underscore that Brahms's music has enriched Hoelderlin's "Song od destiny' with religious faithfulness. This leads us to consider the spiritual value of the musical art, which is called upon, in a singular manner, to instill hope in the human spirit that is so affected and often hurt by our earthly condition.
There is a mysterious and profound kinship between music and hope, between song and eternal life: There is a reason that Christian tradition depicts the blessed spirits in the act of singing together, rapt and ecstatic at the beauty of God.
But authentic art, like prayer, does not alienate us from the reality of every day, but rather enables us to return to our routine in order to 'irrigate' it and make it sprout to bear fruits of goodness and pace.
The masterful itnterpretations which we have just heard also remind us of the value and universal importance of the artistic patrimony. I think especially of the younger generations, who by coming close to such patrimony, may always draw new inspiration to construct a world of justice and solidarity, by appreciating, in the service of mankind, the multiform expressions of world culture.
I am also thinking of the importance that education must give to authentic beauty in the formation of young people. Art in its entirety contributes to refine their spirit and to orient them towards building a society that is open to the ideals of the spirit.
Italy, with its exceptional artistic patrimony, can play, in this respect, an important role in the world: the quantity and quality of the monuments and works of art that it possesses make it, in fact, the universal 'messenger' of all those values that art expresses and promotes at the same time.
Moreover, the festiveness of song and music is in itself a constant invitation to believers and men of good will to commit themselves in order to give mankind a future rich with hope.
Mr. President of the Republic, thank you once again for this stupendous gift and for the sentiments that came with it. I will respond by assuring you of my prayers that the Lord may protect yourself, your kind spouse, and the authorities and people of Italy.
With these wishes, that I entrust to the Mother of Good Counsel, I invoke the blessing of God on all present and their respective families.
Thank you, and good evening to all!