2013-02-05 08:37:38

Vatican concert benefits disadvantaged children


(Vatican Radio) A special concert was held Monday evening for Pope Benedict XVI and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

The Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta, performed Beethoven's Third Symphony and "La forza del Destino" by Giuseppe Verdi. The concert was organised by the Italian Embassy to the Holy See in honour of President Napolitano as he concludes his seven-year term of office, and the Holy Father, to celebrate the 84th anniversary of the Lateran Pacts. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Flying angels Foundation, an NGO chaired by the Ambassador of Italy to the Holy See which provides free airline tickets for disadvantaged children in need of specialized care.

Concluding the concert with an address, the Holy Father spoke on the religious themes contained within these musical pieces. He notes how the piece by Verdi represents the “drama of human existence, marked by a tragic fate and a longing for God, his mercy, and his love, offering light, meaning, and hope even in the darkness.” Pope Benedict continued: “This is the strength of the Christian, who comes from the death and resurrection of Christ, by the act of a supreme God who entered into human history not only with his words, but through his Incarnation.”

Listen to Ann Schneible’s full report: RealAudioMP3







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