The Organ: Tool for Evangelization

Taking Sherry's less-than-subtle hint... 

On Sunday, Pope Benedict met with a group of singers from his home diocese of Regensburg, Germany and made some interesting comments about music and evangelization. 

Here is the account from Zenit:

Benedict XVI told his visitors he was pleased with their visit. "It revives in me the memory of that wonderful day, in which I was able to bless the new organ, the 'Benedikt-Orgel,' in the 'Old Chapel,'" reported the Vatican press office.

He said: "I have an indelible memory of how -- in the harmony of that wonderful organ, of the choir conducted by Kohlhaufel, and the luminous beauty of the church -- we experienced the joy that comes from God. Not just the 'spark of the gods' of which Schiller speaks, but truly the flame of the Holy Spirit that brought us to feel in our innermost being what we also know from the Gospel of St. John: That he himself is joy. And this joy was communicated to us."

The Pope added how pleased he was that this organ "continues to play and to help people perceive something of the splendor of our faith -- a splendor kindled by the Holy Spirit himself. With it, the organ carries out an evangelizing function, proclaims the Gospel in its own way."

Pope Benedict has been very keen, even from before his election to the See of Peter, to emphasize the evangelizing power of beauty as expressed particularly in the arts and the lives of the saints. If the pope is to be believed on this point- and I think he is- more effort should be made to emphasize the tradition of beauty in Christian art and music, particularly in the presence of non-Christians. A concert of Christian music or a presentation on Christian art, especially if it takes place outside of the church building, would be an excellent pre-evangelization activity, a means to establish trust or encourage curiosity, and a great way to involve a church choir, musicians, or parish artists in the work of evangelization. It would also encourage them to see their own personal apostolate in the arts in unity with the mission of the Church.

The Crossroads Cultural Center in Washington and New York is related to the ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation and often sponsors events that emphasize the importance of beauty in light of a dialogue with the world. Their website features a video retrospective of their 2007-2008 season and presents the full range of their activities. Their work is one possible expression of the types of activities the Holy Father seems to be encouraging.