The Pope is in town—or, at least, in the country—and that means we're hearing a lot of the Pontifical Anthem. That song, which was played for Pope Francis at the White House, is the official anthem of the sovereign nation of Vatican City. Where did it come from?
From beloved French composer Charles Gounod, it turns out. A devout Catholic, Gounod composed his Pontifical Hymn for the coronation of Pope Pius IX in 1869. It was debuted by an ensemble that would make even Mahler proud: seven military bands, accompanied by a chorus of over 1,000 soldiers. That mammoth group performed the song several times, to great applause.
Gounod's hymn, which immediately became a Vatican standard but wasn't officially adopted as the Holy See's anthem until 1950, replaced the Triumphal March that Austrian composer Viktorin Hallmayer had written for the Pope in 1857. That march, with its jaunty waltz-like rhythm, just didn't quite have the ceremonial oomph of Gounod's new hymn.
There are two sets of lyrics for the hymn—both written long after Gounod's death in 1893. The first lyrics were written in Italian in 1949, so that the soon-to-be-official hymn could be sung. Here's the English translation, via the Vatican itself:
O Rome immortal of Martyrs and Saints,
O immortal Rome, accept our praises:
Glory in the heavens to God our Lord,
And peace to men who love Christ!
To You we come, Angelic Pastor,
In You we see the gentle Redeemer,
The Holy Heir of true and holy Faith;
Comfort and refuge of those who believe and fight.
Force and terror will not prevail,
But Truth and Love will reign.
To acknowledge both John Paul II's 15th anniversary as Pope and the 100th anniversary of Gounod's death, new Latin lyrics were premiered in 1993. Here's the translation of that text:
CHOIR
O happy Rome - O noble Rome
You are the seat of Peter, who shed his blood in Rome,
Peter, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given.
Pontiff, You are the successor of Peter;
Pontiff, You are the teacher, you confirm your brethren;
Pontiff, You who are the Servant of the servants of God,
and fisher of men, are the shepherd of the flock,
linking heaven and earth.
Peter, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,
a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;
You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,
watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.
SOPRANOS, ALTOS
Pontiff, you are the unshakable rock, and on this rock
was built the Church of God.
TENORS, BASSES
Peter, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,
a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;
You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,
watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.
CHOIR
O happy Rome - O noble Rome.
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