Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster takes her Roman Catholic roots seriously, even if it means upsetting some fans.
Ms. MacMaster said Catholicism drives her life -- professionally and personally.
Ms. MacMaster's music comprises traditional Celtic tunes with contemporary arrangements.
She is one of nearly 200 performers from 35 countries taking part in World Youth Day.
"I'm Catholic in every way," said Ms. MacMaster, who is engaged to Donnell Leahy, the front man of the step-dancing and fiddle-playing family group Leahy, another World Youth Day act.
"It's how I conduct my life.
"I base everything on God and the principles I learned from my Catholic upbringing."
Ms. MacMaster, who has been performing since she was nine, practises what she preaches to young people, including sticking with her Catholic teachings.
That means, for example, no sex before marriage, regular attendance at mass and a strict anti-abortion stand.
She defends the church's opposition to homosexuality and the ordination of women, although she is aware this could be off-putting to some fans.
"Human beings make up the church, and human beings are fallible," the Nova Scotian said.
"But the church and her teachings, I believe, are perfect and are right, and that's the important thing.
"The Pope guides us . . . he is just beautiful.
"I think this is the best Pope we've ever had," Ms. MacMaster said, "and I trust in all of his decisions."
To attend World Youth Day festivities, Ms. MacMaster took a break from a U.S. tour promoting her double CD, Natalie MacMaster Live, which was released in May.
She performed several songs on Wednesday at a forum sponsored by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, an international-development agency.
As well, about 5,000 fans listened as Ms. MacMaster and several others discussed agribusiness and access to food in underdeveloped countries.
"She's the embodiment of youthful exuberance, and when she starts playing that fiddle, it rocks you," said Jack Panozzo of the agency for development and peace.
Each week when growing up in Cape Breton, Ms. MacMaster attended mass with her family, and she tries hard to continue that tradition.
She hopes that the week-long youth conference, to culminate on Sunday with an outdoor mass by the Pope, inspires young people to adhere to their Catholic upbringings long after they have left their homes.
"It's really, really important that we do inspire our youth to keep faith and their spirituality a part of their everyday lives, and include that in the way they conduct their lives," said the performer who has earned two Juno awards and a Grammy nomination.
Ms. MacMaster said she had never been afraid to declare herself to fans and the music industry as Catholic.
She said that if she had to choose which one to follow, it would be the church.
"They can stigmatize me all they want.
"I'm living my life the way I'm supposed to live it," she said.
"If the music career would change my way of living for the negative, then I would quit tomorrow."
Ms. MacMaster said some aspects of the music business disturb her.
For instance, she said, she was "disgusted" by a recent Janet Jackson television special, All for You, based on Ms. Jackson's 2001 tour.
It featured Ms. Jackson singing Would You Mind while wearing a tight costume and strapping a male audience member to a bondage table. Ms. Jackson then crawled over him.
"She's had a lot of great hits that I love, but I was absolutely disgusted with a lot of what I saw," said Ms. MacMaster, whose shows feature her step-dancing while playing the fiddle.
"It's absolutely demoralizing. There's nothing sacred at all, and that's wrong."
Ms. MacMaster, who calls the Bible her favourite book, is worried about young girls mimicking music idols.
"At a certain tender age they're going to think that behaviour is okay, and that's wrong," she said. "I've never felt responsibility, really [as a role model]
"But these last few years, I guess I do feel a bit of responsibility."
Mr. Panozzo said Ms. MacMaster is an excellent role model.
"Any personality that's so well known, people do listen to them. It means a lot for us."
While this is Ms. MacMaster's first World Youth Day, her involvement with the church is long-standing.
Ms. MacMaster often performs and donates time to Catholic organizations.
She has been a spokeswoman for the development-and-peace agency for two years.
This year, she took part in the National Catholic Mission's Holy Week, a TV special for Vision TV.
She met the Pope three years ago when she visited Rome.
She was one of 100 people whom he blessed.
"It was just beautiful, and I will never forget it."