Jul 8, 2008 / 02:10 am
On Saturday morning at Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father received a group of pilgrims from Regensburg, Germany and spoke to them of how singing to God gave him an experience of God as joy.
In brief remarks to group of faithful, the Pope recalled the "marvelous day" in September 2006 when he blessed the new organ - the "Benedikt-Orgel" - in the "Alte Kapelle" of Regensburg, of which his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, was once director.
"I have an indelible memory", said the Holy Father, "of how - in the harmony of that wonderful organ, of the choir conducted by Mr. Kohlhaufel, and the luminous beauty of the church - we experienced the joy that comes from God. Not just the 'spark of the Gods' of which Schiller speaks, but truly the flame of the Holy Spirit which brought us to feel in our innermost being what we also know from the Gospel of St. John: that He Himself is joy. And this joy was communicated to us."
Benedict XVI spoke of his contentment "that this organ continues to play and so helps people to perceive something of the splendor of our faith; a splendor ignited by the Holy Spirit Himself. Thus the organ has an evangelizing role, in its own way it announces the Gospel."