On September 28, the Pope met with the Scholae Cantorum of the Italian Santa Cecilia Association, and according to a Zenit report filed the same day, he “had high praise” for the group which “includes singers, choir directors, and organists, gathered together from various parts of Italy.”

In the Zenit report, Pope Francis was quoted in his greeting to the sacred music group. “You are part of the worthy Italian Santa Cecilia Association, ancient—founded 140 years ago—and still alive and active and eager to serve the Church,” Pope Francis said. “Together you take care of the artistic and liturgical preparation, and you promote the presence of the schola cantorum in every parish community. The choir guides the assembly and—with its specific repertoires—is a qualified voice of spirituality, communion, tradition and liturgical culture.”

Zenit provided the entire text of Pope Francis’s address to the Scholae Cantorum, which included comments that underscored the importance of sacred music in the liturgy, commending the group for their “dedication to the liturgy and its music represents a way of evangelization at all levels, from children to adults. In fact, the liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism.”

Pope Francis also said in his address that sacred music “also carries out another task, that of bringing together Christian history: in the liturgy, Gregorian chant, polyphony, popular music, and contemporary music resonate. It is as though, in that moment, there were all the past and present generations praising God, each with its own sensitivity.”