Liturgical singing requires ‘a deep spiritual life,’ Pope Leo XIV says Pope Leo XIV on Sunday praised the \u201cprecious\u201d ministry of liturgical music and told choir members from around the world that their service at the altar must be sustained above all by a deep life of prayer. He later used his pre-Angelus remarks to appeal for the release of hostages kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon and to encourage young people on World Youth Day. The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter\u2019s Square for the Jubilee of Choirs on the Solemnity of Christ the King, telling choristers and musicians that their vocation is to lead God\u2019s people into the mystery of worship. \u201cDear choristers and musicians, today you celebrate your jubilee and you show thanks to the Lord for granting you the gift and grace to serve him by offering your voices and talents for his glory and for the spiritual edification of your brothers and sisters,\u201d he said in his homily. \u201cYour task is to draw others into the praise of God and to help them to participate more fully in the liturgy through song.\u201d ‘A true ministry’ rooted in prayer Drawing on the day\u2019s responsorial psalm, \u201cLet us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord\u201d (Psalm 122), Pope Leo said the liturgy calls Christians \u201cto walk together in praise and joy toward the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, gentle and humble Sovereign.\u201d \u201cHis power is love, his throne the Cross, and through the Cross his Kingdom shines forth upon the world,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the wood he reigns as Prince of Peace and King of Justice who, in his Passion, reveals to the world the immense mercy of God\u2019s heart. This love is also the inspiration and motive for your singing.\u201d Pope Leo described singing as a uniquely human way of expressing what words alone cannot say. \u201cMusic can give expression to the whole range of feelings and emotions that arise within us from a living relationship with reality,\u201d he said, adding that \u201csinging, in particular, constitutes a natural and refined expression of the human being: mind, feelings, body and soul come together to communicate the great events of life.\u201d Quoting St. Augustine, he recalled that \u201c \u2018Cantare amantis est\u2019 \u2026 that is, \u2018singing belongs to those who love.\u2019\u201d For Christians, he continued, liturgical song is more than performance. \u201cFor the people of God, song expresses invocation and praise,\u201d he said. \u201cLiturgical music thus becomes a precious instrument through which we carry out our service of praise to God and express the joy of new life in Christ.\u201d The pope underlined that choir members exercise a genuine ecclesial service, especially in the liturgy. \u201cYou belong to choirs that carry out their ministry primarily in liturgical settings. Yours is a true ministry that requires preparation, commitment, mutual understanding and, above all, a deep spiritual life, so that when you sing, you both pray and help everyone else to pray,\u201d he said. This ministry, he added, \u201crequires discipline and a spirit of service, especially when preparing for a solemn liturgy or an important event in your communities.\u201d A ‘small family’ within the larger community Pope Leo urged choristers not to see themselves as performers set apart from the congregation, but as part of the praying assembly. \u201cThe choir is a small family of individuals united by their love of music and the service they offer. However, remember that the community is your larger family,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are not on stage, but rather a part of that community, endeavoring to help it grow in unity by inspiring and engaging its members.\u201d He acknowledged the ordinary tensions that can arise in any group, but said that even these can become a sign of the Church\u2019s pilgrimage through history. \u201cWe can say to some extent that the choir symbolizes of the Church, which, striving toward its goal, walks through history praising God,\u201d he said. \u201cEven when this journey is beset by difficulties and trials and joyful moments give way to more challenging ones, singing makes the journey lighter, providing relief and consolation.\u201d Citing both St. Augustine and St. Ignatius of Antioch, the pope presented the choir as a sign of synodality and unity in the Church, in which diverse voices become a single hymn of praise. \u201cIn fact, the different voices of a choir harmonize with each other, giving rise to a single hymn of praise, a luminous symbol of the Church, which unites everyone in love in a single pleasing melody,\u201d he said. ‘Without giving in to the temptation of ostentation’ Pope Leo also encouraged musicians to study the Church\u2019s teaching on sacred music and to resist the impulse to draw attention to themselves rather than to God. \u201cStrive, therefore, to make your choirs ever harmonious and beautiful, and a brighter image of the Church praising her Lord,\u201d he said. \u201cStudy the Magisterium carefully. The conciliar documents set out the norms for carrying out your service in the best possible way.\u201d \u201cAbove all, dedicate yourselves to facilitating the participation of the people of God, without giving in to the temptation of ostentation, which prevents the entire liturgical assembly from actively participating in the singing,\u201d he added. \u201cIn this, be an eloquent sign of the Church\u2019s prayer, expressing its love for God through the beauty of music. Take care that your spiritual life is always worthy of the service you perform, so that your ministry may authentically express the grace of the liturgy.\u201d At the end of his homily, the pope entrusted all choir members to the patron saint of sacred music. \u201cI place all of you under the protection of Saint Cecilia, the virgin and martyr who raised the most beautiful song of love through her life here in Rome, giving herself entirely to Christ and offering the Church a shining example of faith and love,\u201d he said. \u201cLet us continue singing and once again make our own the invitation of today\u2019s responsorial psalm: \u2018Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.\u2019\u201d Appeal for kidnapped priests, faithful, and students After Mass and before leading the Angelus, Pope Leo greeted the many choirs and pilgrims present and turned to urgent news from Africa, where priests, lay faithful, and students have been kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon. \u201cI was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnapping of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel great pain, above all for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their distressed families.\u201d Before Sunday\u2019s Angelus, Pope Leo called for the release of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon who were taken hostage. He calls on us all to pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, \u201cand that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/imoxTs9TOj \u201cI make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release,\u201d he continued. \u201cLet us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.\u201d Recent weeks have seen the kidnapping of a Catholic priest in Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, as well as the abduction of at least two dozen schoolgirls from a secondary school in Kebbi State, amid ongoing attacks on Christian communities and widespread insecurity in several regions of the country. Nigeria is classified as a \u201ccountry in a situation of persecution\u201d in the 2025 Religious Freedom in the World report by Aid to the Church in Need, which notes the continued activity of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, and repeated attacks against churches and Christian communities. Message to young people and look ahead to T\u00fcrkiye and Lebanon Pope Leo also marked the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day, observed this Sunday in local Churches around the globe. \u201cToday, dioceses around the world are celebrating World Youth Day,\u201d he said. \u201cI bless and spiritually embrace all those taking part in the various celebrations and initiatives.\u201d \u201cOn the feast of Christ the King, I pray that every young person may discover the beauty and joy of following him, the Lord, and dedicating him or herself to his Kingdom of love, justice and peace,\u201d the pope added. Looking ahead to his upcoming Apostolic Journey, the pope noted that he will soon travel to T\u00fcrkiye and Lebanon. \u201cMy Apostolic Journey to T\u00fcrkiye and Lebanon is now close. In T\u00fcrkiye, the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will be celebrated. For this reason, the Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei is being published today, commemorating this historic event,\u201d he said. Before beginning the Angelus prayer, he invited the faithful to entrust all these intentions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. \u201cNow let us turn to the Virgin Mary,\u201d he said, \u201centrusting all these intentions and our prayer for peace to her maternal intercession.\u201d Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Victoria Cardiel Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Pope Leo XIV Congratulates EWTN Germany on 25 Years Vatican clears New Zealand Cardinal John Dew of abuse allegations Is the Next Pope at the Synod? Vatican Cardinal Explains How Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati Became Saints In Memoriam of Pope Francis Pope Francis: “Sometimes I get a little scared” to talk about the synodal spirit<\/p>\n