The Vatican’s Paul VI Hall already has a practically fixed event on its Christmas agenda: the Concert with the Poor, which in its 6th edition brought the singer who is present in all our Christmas HitsMichael Bublé. In the front rows were 3,000 poor people from Rome, while another 5,000 people filled the auditorium.

The Canadian singer said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to sing in Rome in the presence of Pope Leo XIV: “It’s the greatest moment of my career. God is blessing me by allowing us to share this fraternal evening together.”.

Bublé appeared comfortable on stage and sought to interact especially with the most disadvantaged members of the audience. He often turned to the left side of the stage, where a group of people in wheelchairs were seated. He invited the audience to sing along, without fear of getting the lyrics or pitch wrong.

Among the songs chosen for the occasion, the Christmas classic could not be left out. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (impossible to read without humming along), in addition to its success Feeling Good.

But the highlight of the evening was the performance of Ave Maria by Schubert, whose preview during the previous day’s press conference had already gone viral on social media. Bublé expressed his gratitude, stating that it is one of the most beautiful songs of all time.

The presence of the Pope

Among the guests that evening, the Pope attended the entire concert and recalled that the now traditional concert at the Vatican was conceived by his predecessor, Pope Francis. “Tonight, as the melodies touched our souls, we felt the inestimable value of music: it is not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to all, rich and poor alike.”.

With this gesture, León shows that he agrees with the maxim of his spiritual teacher, Saint Augustine: he who sings prays twice. He recalled that music and beauty are a form of love, a via pulchritudinis (path of beauty) that leads to God.

“Music is like a bridge that leads us to God. It is capable of conveying feelings, emotions, even the deepest movements of the soul, elevating them and transforming them into an ideal stairway connecting earth and heaven. Yes, music can lift our souls! Not because it distracts us from our miseries, because it stuns us or makes us forget life’s problems or difficult situations, but because it reminds us that we are not just that: we are much more than our problems and our sorrows, we are children loved by God!”

On the path to beauty

We cannot forget the permanent fixture of the Concert with the Poor, maestro and composer Marco Frisina, director of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome. As always, he took the opportunity to recall the Christian meaning of Christmas and the hope that music brings to the darkness of the world.

In previous editions of the Christmas event, Frisina shared the stage with musical greats such as Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone. Each year is an opportunity for these artists and the hundreds who accompany them to have a private meeting with the Holy Father and show a gesture of generosity: sharing their talent with those who might never have the opportunity to see them.

The Italian priest has already established himself as a spokesperson for sacred music, and believes in its strong potential for evangelization. Initiatives such as this concert and the devotional show he directed during the Youth Jubilee vigil in August show that the via pulchritudinis It is truly a good way to talk about God today.

At the end of the concert, all the poor received an Italian dinner distributed by the Vatican: lasagna, meatballs, and broccoli.