Initiative aimed at students, both atheists and believers

(ANSA) - Rome, November 10 - The Catholic Church used rap and rock artists Monday to bring together young believers and non-believers alike for a conference on spirituality. 'Music: Listening and Vision' held at Rome's MAXXI museum was part of its Cortile dei Gentili initiative, a program to create dialog among atheists and non-believers by involving notable people in various fields from art, politics, religion and education. Students heard from Italian musicians on the spiritual power of music. Renowned composer Nicola Piovani, who won an Oscar for his work on the soundtrack to the film 'Life is Beautiful', joined with Rome singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, Dire Straits guitarist Phil Palmer, and Italian rapper Er Piotta, who received the most applause from the student audience. The event was hosted by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and MAXXI Foundation president, former Italian culture minister Giovanna Melandri. Ravasi said that a dialog around music is fundamentally about addressing communication. "The issue of language is fundamental, as shown by the effectiveness of a pope like Francis, who is connected not only to the message but also to how it's communicated," Ravasi said.

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Rapper, musicians talk spirituality in Vatican conference