‘Canticle of Peace’: Leo XIV presents the beauty of music as a path to God

Pope Leo XIV stated Wednesday that “the beauty of music invites us to encounter the One who is beauty itself,” during the “Canticle of Peace” prayer and fraternal gathering held at Castel Gandolfo’s Borgo Laudato Si’  gardens.

Leo XIV also prayed for peace to reign “in all those places in the world that continue to suffer from violence

The gathering, organized by the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF), took place as part of the celebrations marking the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

Addressing the young members of the ABF Voices choir who came from Uganda, the Holy Land, and Italy, Leo XIV assured them: “Know also that the Holy Father loves you and prays for you, for your families, and for your countries.”

After listening to the performance by tenor Andrea Bocelli and the choir, the pope thanked them for the effort put into preparing the recital and congratulated their conductors, noting that “music has the extraordinary capacity to bring different voices together in unison, where each contributes something unique to the whole.”

“In this sense, the choir becomes an ideal symbol of harmony and…