The Pope Speaks Mozart

And so does China.

A happy coincidence, that. Providential? Perhaps.

At the very least, China Philharmonic's debut at the Vatican, part of a three-city European tour that begins May 4, would carry significant symbolism for the millions of Roman Catholics in China, who are split between official and underground churches. Chinese Catholics are only allowed to worship at state-backed churches, and many worshipping at clandestine sites and professing loyalty to the pope have been persecuted.

Money graf:

It wasn't clear how much the concert would help the Vatican and Beijing move toward reconciliation. But Pope Benedict has made the improvement of relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy, hoping to secure greater freedom for Chinese Catholics.

Rock 'em, Amadeus!

-- David Pearson