A wide-ranging interview sheds light on the musical predilections of His Holiness.

A recent interview given by Pope Francis to 16 Jesuit journals has revealed interesting insight into the religious figurehead’s take on many contemporary social issues including abortion and gay rights. Of specific interest to Limelight readers, Francis also discussed his particular tastes in music as it figures in his own life and as a portal into Christian thought.

Not surprisingly, His Holiness turns out to have a marked liking for all things classical, particularly the work of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. He expressed a particular connection with Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, describing both works as “sublime”.

Francis also expressed interest in a pricklier composer, Richard Wagner, describing the German Romantic’s music as some of his favourite: “I love Wagner. I like to listen to him, but not all the time,” he said.

Of Wagner recordings, Pope Francis noted his favourite as being Furtwängler’s 1950 Ring Cycle at La Scala. Indeed, his fondness for the esteemed German conductor was already known to some – earlier this year he was given a complete box-set of Furtwängler’s recordings by German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel,