LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI
ON OCCASION OF THE STUDY DAY ORGANIZED BY
THE CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND
THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS

To my Venerable Brother
Cardinal Francis Arinze
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments

I learned with deep pleasure that the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has promoted a Study Day on sacred music that will take place at the Vatican on 5 December. I am therefore glad to express my spiritual closeness to you, Your Eminence, to your collaborators in this Dicastery and to the distinguished spokespersons and all of the participants, as I assure you of my special remembrance in prayer that this appropriate initiative will have the desired pastoral results.

The intention of this Meeting is to comply with the wishes of the Venerable Pope John Paul II, who asked this Dicastery, in the Chirograph he published on the occasion of the centenary of the "Motu Proprio" Tra le Sollecitudini, to increase its attention to the sector of sacred music in the liturgy.

In making my beloved Predecessor's request my own, I would like to encourage lovers of sacred music to continue along these lines.

It is important to stimulate reflection and comparison on the relationship between music and the liturgy, as the present Symposium also intends to do, constantly keeping an eye on procedures and experimentation in agreement and collaboration with the Bishops' Conferences of the various nations.

I warmly hope you will have a profitable day of reflection and listening, and as I invoke the heavenly intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St Cecilia, I very gladly impart to you, Your Eminence, and to all who will be taking part in the Congress, the implored Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 1 December 2005

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

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