A few days ago, a photo went around the world: Pope Francis leaves a Roman music store with a bag. The shopkeeper later revealed that the Pope was looking for certain classical music records. Pope Francis is actually considered to be not very musical. A big mistake, because a look at the so-called audio library of the Pope proves the opposite.
A look inside Pope Francis’ audio library
Rome, Via della Conciliazione. At one end of the boulevard rises the Castel Sant’Angelo and at the other end the mighty St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pontificio Consiglio di Cultura, the papal Ministry of Culture, has its headquarters at number 5. The “Audioteca Papa Francesco” is housed here in a room on the third floor. A place unknown even to the Romans.
A plain room with simple shelves, full of CDs and records, some instruments and sheet music. On a wall above one of the shelves, Francis looks out into the room from a photograph, smiling affably.
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Pope Francis’ audio library: Johann Sebastian Bach is the undisputed star of the papal audio library. Closely followed by Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The collection has countless recordings by these composers, both on CDs and on records.
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Pontifical Council for Culture
The History of the Music Collection
“For years, Pope Francis has been sending Cardinal Ravasi, Minister of Culture of the Holy See, CDs and records that he receives as gifts or buys himself. Music that the Pope has heard and then wants to make available to others. This is how these recordings come to Cardinal Ravasi,” said Richard Rouse, Director of Pope Francis’ Audio Library.
Gianfranco Ravasi is not only the Minister of Culture of the Catholic Church, but also a proven music lover. Unofficially it is said that Francis and Ravasi exchange music and musical recordings.
“Following a conference on music in the church here in the Vatican a few years ago, the pope decided to entrust his culture minister with his own music collection with immediate effect,” continues Richard Rouse.
