Earlier this month the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI is planning a meeting with artists on Nov. 21st. Who knew the Vatican had a PR machine in place? Better yet, who knew there was a Pontifical Council for Culture and Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church? God, I love the sound of cultural patrimony.

Having just returned from two weeks in Italy, with a bit of that time wandering through the Vatican oggling the most amazing art collection I've ever seen, it's easy for me to understand why the "new" Pope would reach out to artists. For years the Church and art has lived in harmony. Oh, there's plenty of bad blood, too (I'm looking at you Madonna). According to the Catholic News Agency (again, who knew?) the President of the previously mentioned cultural outreach agencies within the Vatican, the gathering “aims to be representative of the desire for dialogue between the Church and the world of the arts.” The real reason for the meeting is because it's been 10 years since Pope John Paul II penned his wonderful Letter to Artists. It starts with this statement: “To all who are passionately dedicated to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty so that through their creative work as artists they may offer these as gifts to the world.” And it keeps getting better from there.

Now I'm not really a religious person, but I love stuff like this: “beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up.” (also from the Letter to Artists).

And this: “Artists of the world, may your many different paths all lead to that infinite Ocean of beauty where wonder becomes awe, exhilaration, unspeakable joy.”

All I can say to that, is Amen, Brother.