Pope Leo Urges Choirs to Embody the Church’s Unity

Vatican City, November 23, 2025: Pope Leo XIV has called on choirs to serve as a living sign of the Church’s unity, urging choristers to sing “in unison” as a people journeying together in faith. Marking the Jubilee of Choirs on the Solemnity of Christ the King, he invited musicians to rediscover their ministry as one rooted in love, unity, and synodality.

Presiding over Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope reflected on the responsorial psalm of the day, 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.” He emphasised that Christ’s kingship is revealed not through power but through self-giving, reminding the faithful that “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 highlighted that sacred music is deeply rooted in divine love. Quoting Saint Augustine, he recalled, “Singing belongs to those who love,” adding that those who sing “give expression to love, but also to the pain, tenderness and desire that dwell in their hearts.”

He described music as a gift of humanity capable of conveying what words alone cannot express. Within the Church, he said, song becomes “the new song that the Risen Christ raises to the Father,” with the baptised joining as “singers of grace” who reveal “the joy of new life in Christ.”

A Synodal Choir Walks Together

Encouraging choirs to view their work as a model of ecclesial unity, the Pope again drew on Saint Augustine’s words, inviting choristers to “sing while we walk,” like travellers sustained by hope. Being part of a choir, he said, means moving forward together, consoling those who suffer and encouraging one another “when difficulties seem to prevail.”

He also referenced Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who saw united voices as 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

Pope Leo XIV reminded choir members that their ministry is “a true ministry that requires preparation, commitment… and above all, a deep spiritual life” so they may help others pray through their singing. He cautioned against turning liturgical music into a performance, stressing that it must foster unity rather than “ostentation,” which hinders full participation by the faithful.

Describing the choir as “a small family” where tensions may arise, he noted that it remains “a symbol of the Church, which… walks through history praising God,” even in times of trial.

Saint Cecilia

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

Pope Leo Urges Choirs to Embody the Church’s Unity

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