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Rating: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man takes and sows in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds but, once grown, it is larger than the other plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches." Gospel of Matthew 13, 31-32
Calm down, gentlemen... I know some will be ready to pounce on this latest cheap Christmas marketing gimmick "Made By the Holy See" (after all, they invented the Christmas Rite, didn't they?). But let's take it easy and not get carried away by this anticlerical sentiment that now (rightfully or wrongfully) brews in many of us.
The news is this: there has been a somewhat quietly released CD "Alma Mater" (Geffen/Universal Edition) of Christmas music featuring the voice of our beloved Pope Ratzinger. 8 tracks of classical and sacred music (composed by 3 authors, one of whom is a believer, another Catholic, and the last one Muslim… like in the jokes!) interspersed with laurentayan litanies, prayers, Marian songs, recited and at times sung by the Great German Shepherd and supported by the Accademia Filarmonica di Roma, with contributions in many tracks from the famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which recorded the sessions at the historic Abbey Road Studio in London.
A large part of the proceeds seems to go to the musical education of poor children around the world (!!).
On paper, all commendable but... but one wonders and asks themselves....
Was there really a need to build a marketing castle like this to "provide musical education" to poor children? Couldn't they (just throwing it out there), for example, sell about 30 apartments and penthouses owned by the Vatican (after all, we’re talking about a tiny part of the countless properties that belong to the Holy See and are scattered throughout Italy and beyond, the result of donations and never entirely clear economic exchanges)?
With 30 apartments (average value €500,000 each x 30 = €15 million) imagine how many things could be done for the poor children of the world, aside from musical education which, frankly, seems like the least of their concerns.
Did I perhaps say something foolish? I spoke of apartments but, as far as I know, the methods and ideas to raise money for our Beloved Church are certainly not lacking and surely don’t need suggestions from an insignificant fool like me.
Moreover, the calculations are quickly made: producing a record like this = COST ZERO (do you really think anyone charges Razzy & Co. for the music or the mixes at Abbey Road Studios? And for distribution? And for advertising? Do you think anyone DARES charge the Vatican for this Project? Come on, don't be naive, for God's sake....).
So, you’ll understand that 30 apartments are a significant capital that gets squandered, doesn’t yield, and incurs losses while making a record like this costs practically nothing... at most it will sell a few thousand copies and bring in those 2/300 thousand euros more than enough to be allocated to the Musical Education of poor children worldwide (since they, poor souls, wait for nothing else, you know... "a handful of rice and mud in the left hand and a flute in the right", I can already see them)
Excuse me, but I have an uncontrollable urge to vomit.... does anyone want to finish this crude review for me?
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