GENERAL AUDIENCE Pope Leo XIV AUGUST 12, 2026 PAPAL CORNER ● WISDOM OF POPE LEO XIV Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. 6. Sacred Music Dear brothers and sisters, The sixth chapter of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC) is dedicated to sacred music. The document states that: “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy” (SC,, 112). It specifies that “sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. But the Church approves of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship” (ibid.). Here we find the core of the Council’’s teaching, which confirms and deepens the ministerial function of music in the liturgy, already highlighted by Saint Pius X in the Motu Proprio Inter Sollicitudines (22 November 1903). Indeed, music is part of the liturgical action and is not merely a decorative part of the celebration. To sing and play music during the liturgy is to pray, attuning one’s heart to that of our sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery being celebrated. In particular, music expresses the affective dimension of prayer, as Saint Augustine says: “Cantare amantis est”, that is, “singing belongs to those who love” (Sermon 336, 1). This is very important, because it helps us open our hearts to God’s action in grace and allow ourselves to be moulded by it. Singing also fosters communion. It contributes to the unity of hearts, overcoming differences between people and bringing everyone together in praise of God through the symphony of voices. Thus, it becomes an epiphany of the Church, a tangible manifestation of the communion that belongs to her very nature. The profound theological value of sacred hymns as an integral part of liturgical action carries certain requirements. The first is that, at every level, it must respond to what is most appropriate for the liturgical moment, beyond fashions or composers’ particular sensitivities. Its form, especially in its melodic aspect, must be at once noble and simple, of high musical quality and easily performable, particularly when it is intended to be sung by the whole assembly (cf. SC,, 121). For the same reason, the Council also recommends that the texts be suitable, profound and at the same time readily understandable, inspired mainly by Sacred Scripture, liturgical books and the spiritual Tradition of the Church. Attention must be paid to this, so that the dynamic expressed in the ancient principle lex orandi, lex credendi, that is, the law of prayer is also the law of faith, may remain alive and continue to grow.
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