Music artists around the world know that one of the tricks to big sales is to release an album during the holiday shopping season. Pope Benedict the Sixteenth is no exception to this rule and will release his Christmas album this November 30th. Record executives are hoping that his built in audience of over 1 billion Catholics worldwide will make the album a surefire hit. It is sure to be a popular Christmas gift.

The album, called Alma Mater, will be produced by Geffen records and was produced at the Abbey Road studios in London. Geffen also features pop artists such as Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, and Ashley Simpson. Geffen used prerecorded tracks of the pope reciting prayers and singing. They are backed by the Choir of the Philharmonic of Rome and marketers hope the Christmas album will be a popular gift this holiday season. His holiness will sing a Marian prayer and speak Lauretan Litanies in four different languages, accompanied by eight original pieces of modern classical music. These pieces will be composed by musicians that will be announced by the Vatican in September.
 
Pope Benedict is not the first Holy See to release an album. Pope John Paul released "Abba Pater" in 1999. It was a classical music album on the Sony label that featured the prayer and message of the pope. Pope Benedict's Christmas album will be the first featuring a vocal performance by a pope.

Pope Benedict assumed the papacy on April 19, 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II. A long-time fan of classical music, Pope Benedict is a classically trained pianist and keeps a grand piano in the papal quarters. He has stated that as a young man, he was great affected by the music of Mozart, claiming that the music "deeply penetrated his soul". Since assuming the papacy, Pope Benedict has emphasized a need for Europe to return to fundamental Christian values in response to a lessening of Christianity throughout developed countries.  His teachings emphasize the importance of the Catholic Church and for people to contemplate what he views as the redemptive love of God. He also speaks of the importance of prayer in activism and the growth of secularism is charitable works. He is the founder of the Ratzinger Foundation, named for his surname prior to assuming the papacy. The foundation raises money from the sale of books and essays the pope has written and funds scholarships for students around the globe.

One of the main messages that Pope Benedict repeats in his homilies and that has been the theme of many of his writings is the cultivation of a personal friendship with Jesus Christ. Perhaps the pope hopes to foster this relationship for many through the use of his music and voice. Some of the proceeds of Pope Benedict's Christmas album will go to music education for poor children around the globe. Should Geffen find this endeavor successful, they may consider signing other unorthodox artists in the future.