THE HOLY FATHER SIGNS THE SONG OF PEACE PARCHMENT

Placido Domingo, Mons. Edoardo Menichelli, Pope John Paul II

The Vatican, 3rd July 2004, in the Library Hall, Pope John Paul II received the organisers and stars of Song of Peace, which, on the 28^th April 2003 resounded in the world preview in the Muse Theatre with the unforgettable performance by Placido Domingo.

It was an amazing meeting when His Holiness pleasantly chatted with the delegation and signed the parchment (prepared by the scribe from Recanati, Malleus) with the words of the Song of Peace, which was based on the prayer pronounced by the Pope in January 2002 during the multi-religious meeting that was held in Assisi. A Song that was placed to music by Marco Tutino and performed by the Great Tenor, the “Vincenzo Bellini” Lyrical Choir and the Marchigiana Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Renato Palumbo.

The delegation was formed of 24 people including: the new Bishop of Ancona, Mons. Edoardo Menichelli; the Mayor of Ancona and Chairman of the Muse Theatre Foundation, Fabio Sturani and his wife; Placido Domingo with Marta Ornellas; the composer Marco Tutino, the Orchestra conductor, Renato Palumbo; the General Vicar, Mons. Paolo Paolucci; the coordinator of the event, Mons. Ermanno Carnevali; press office and RAI-TV relations manager, Mons. Claudio Giuliodori; the P.R. manager for the curia, Marcello Tedeschi; the Superintendent of the Verona Arena Foundation, artistic director for the Opera Season in Ancona and brains behind the event, Claudio Orazi and his wife; Giampaolo Giampaoli who represented UniCredit, the sole sponsor for the event.

 “(…) an intense emotion, as strong as the idea of peace and the values that are behind it. The emotions that the Ancona Delegation felt when they met with the Pontiff, John Paul II, will never be forgotten. The Pope wrote the words for the Hymn of Peace and blessed the initiative for the musical version, and he was visited by the Mayor, Fabio Sturani, and his wife Pia, to receive the official imprimatur.

and it was Sturani in his role as Chairman of the Muse Theatre Foundation, who delivered the parchment of the Hymn of Peace into the holy hands of the Pope.

In the Vatican Library Hall, where John Paul II receives the Heads of State (“Bush was here before you”, the Pontiff told the Mayor), the Ancona delegation appeared before the Holy Father, after passing through the Raffaello Hall, and the atmosphere was immediately dense with the significance of the Catholic ritual – Sturani and his wife, the Archbishop of Ancona, Edoardo Menichelli with Don Paolo Paolucci, Monsignor Ermanno Carnevali, Monsignor Claudio Giuliadori, CEI press office manager and Marcello Bedeschi, P.R. manager for Ancona Curia  (…).

Mons. Edoardo Menichelli, Pope John Paul II

Placido Domingo is now rehearsing in Verona for Goya by Menotti, which will debut on the 19th July, but he wished to take a day off and flew to the Vatican. “I would not have missed this moment for anything in the world: I met the Pope and I sang for him in Central Park and in Mexico, this is the third audience I have been honoured with, but the emotions are enormous each time – the tenor stated – as intense now as the first time. When he was elected I firmly believed that besides Communism falling, Peace would have exploded”. During the Audience, the Pope always had at his side the Archbishop of Ancona and Osimo Edoardo Menichelli, who interpreted the Pope’s gesture as a good wish for the Muse, flywheel for high culture and for the town.

After reading his speech of two pages, John Paul II dedicated words of hope and affection to his guests, remembering his last visit to Ancona and announcing his visit to Loreto in September. He was moved remembering the death of his closest friend at the gates of Ancona, back in 1944, under the command of General Anders.

The Silver medal forged by Trebbiani and the volume dedicated to the Muse were given to the Pontiff by the Mayor Sturani. To each of the Ancona representatives, messengers of the Muse, Pope Wojtyla gave a blessed rosary. (Lucilla Niccolini, Corriere Adriatico, 4 July 2004).