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Pope Leo XIV on Sacred Polyphony:
Polyphony itself, moreover, is a musical form full of meaning, for prayer and for Christian life. First of all, in fact, it is inspired by the Sacred Text, which it aims to “clothe with appropriate melody” (Inter sollicitudines, 1) so that it can better reach “the intelligence of the faithful” (ibid.). Furthermore, it achieves this goal by entrusting the words to several voices, each of which repeats them in its own and original way, with varied and complementary melodic and harmonic movements. Finally, it harmonizes everything thanks to the skill with which the composer develops and intertwines the melodies, respecting the rules of counterpoint, making them echo each other, sometimes even creating dissonances, which then find resolution in new chords. The effect of this dynamic unity in diversity – a metaphor for our common journey of faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit – is to help the listener to enter ever more deeply into the mystery expressed by the words, responding, where appropriate, with responsories or in alternatim. Precisely thanks to this richness of form and content, the Roman polyphonic tradition, in addition to having left us an immense heritage of art and spirituality, continues to be even today, in the musical field, a point of reference to look to, albeit with the necessary adaptations, in sacred and liturgical composition, so that through singing “the faithful participate fully, consciously and actively in the liturgy” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 14), with profound involvement of voice, mind and heart. Of all this, the Missa Papae Marcelli, in its genre, is an example par excellence, as is the precious repertoire of compositions left to us by the unforgettable Domenico Cardinal Bartolucci, illustrious composer and director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for almost fifty years.
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