LONDON — He is the Pope’s favorite composer. His “Ave Verum” is one of the most well-known pieces of religious music. He wrote a number of Mass settings. He came from a city regarded as one of the heartlands of the Catholic faith.

But while the musical world marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Jan. 27, Catholic churches worldwide are among the least likely places to echo the sounds of his music.

In fact, even during his lifetime, the relationship between Mozart and the Catholic Church was problematic. His highly religious father Leopold, who carefully nurtured his son’s talent, was said to be appalled at the latter’s worldly ways. And it was not an era that was conducive to good liturgical music in the everyday sense: Gregorian chant was virtually ignored in Austria and Germany at that time, and cultural life was very much influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, which included a good dose of anti-Catholic feeling. Although Mozart wrote a number of magnificent Masses, they are too long and elaborate for normal use.

But “he produced one work after another that seemed divinely inspired as they transcended his own personality,” says Jeremy de Satge of The London-based group The Music Makers, which works to foster good Church music among Catholics. “One can say that he was beloved of God, truly befitting the name ‘Amadeus’” (Latin for “beloved of God”).

Faith Through Art

It’s an assessment shared by Pope Benedict XVI, who played Mozart on the piano every evening during his vacation in the Alps last summer, a few weeks after his election. He has said of the composer, “His music is by no means just entertainment — it contains the whole tragedy of human existence.”

And this can itself lead people to God. This Rock, the magazine of Catholic Answers, carried a feature by Eric Johnson titled “I Was Converted by Mozart.” Johnson wrote, “That is an exaggeration, but not far from the truth. It was through music and art that I encountered a positive experience of Catholicism. To be young is to be a sensualist, and it was through my eyes and ears that I first became attracted to the faith.”

He had earlier been singularly unimpressed by a local parish where dreary “folk” music jostled with fund-raising and gimmicks such as the priest driving a vehicle up the aisle for Mass.

“It’s a shame that music is not really deemed to be important in the life of the Church, and that no contemporary music could be said to be as ‘divinely inspired’ as Mozart’s,” de Satge said. But in terms of actually using Mozart’s work for Sunday Mass, there is a practical difficulty.

“Some of his pieces, such as his ‘Ave Verum Corpus,’ are regularly used but most of his Mass settings are not really suitable for parish liturgical performance,” de Satge stated. Great cathedrals — where the tradition involves listening and being inspired rather than actively joining in the singing — can use them, but it is unrealistic to think of them as part of a parish choir’s repertoire.

Larger Picture

However, any discussion of Mozart leads to the larger picture. Any serious commentator would have to admit that in general Church music today is in a mess. There are few parishes with choirs that regularly sing Gregorian chant or attempt any other great Mass settings. Catholic musicians who love good music tend to join other choirs or drop out from the active music scene altogether.

“There aren’t too many of us around,” admitted Edmund Nash, a Catholic member of the internationally-known, Anglican-based choir of Magdalene College, Cambridge. “That’s the fruit of the ‘folk’ legacy. And most of us received our training in a non-Catholic environment.”

So could the Mozart anniversary, which will help to emphasize the role of great classical music generally, foster a greater sense of what beautiful music can achieve and the role it could play once again in our churches — and in our culture?

While Austria rejoices and welcomes tourists from around the globe under the theme “Celebrate the Genius,” with everything from massive birthday cakes to exhibitions, competitions and, of course, concerts galore, what about the Church, traditionally seen as the mother of all Western European culture?

Pope Benedict’s brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, was for many years the director of the world-famous choir of Regensburg Cathedral. Both Ratzinger brothers were present when the choir recently performed at the Vatican. The Pope has spoken of the importance of beautiful music at the heart of worship and of liturgical life.

“You have an important mission to help the people of God pray with dignity because sacred music is a ministerial function in the service of the Lord,” the Holy Father told young choristers from around the world taking part in the Dec. 28-Jan. 1 International Congress of Pueri Cantores in Rome. Singing not only contributes to “the beauty of the liturgy,” it also nourishes one’s faith and raises our mind and thoughts to God, he said.

Music is also a major evangelizing tool, and perhaps Mozart’s own problematic relationship with the Church can serve as an icon.

“Mozart may not have been the most inspirational Catholic, but that didn’t bother me much,” Eric Johnson said. “He said that when he composed he found nothing more inspirational than the words ‘Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.’

“When I was selected for a madrigal group in my senior year in high school, our repertoire included choral staples like ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ and ‘Lacrimosa’ (part of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’). Until I encountered these works I had little appreciation for the majesty of God.

“People don’t listen to Mozart because of his views on politics, or because his music is ‘useful’ in some way,” he said. “They simply love it because it is beautiful. Mozart’s works thus stand out even more, in contrast to a culture that values the utilitarian and flashy over the truly beautiful.”

Joanna Bogle

writes from London.