Skip to content

Pope Leo XIV to attend musical prayer service with Andrea Bocelli

Pope Leo XIV on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, officially inaugurated the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, with a liturgical celebration highlighting the “vocation” of every person to care for creation, including a performance by Andrea Bocelli. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, officially inaugurated the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, with a liturgical celebration highlighting the “vocation” of every person to care for creation, including a performance by Andrea Bocelli. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pontiff will lead a moment of prayer during the “Canticle of Peace” concert in Castel Gandolfo on July 29.

Pope Leo XIV, having just concluded his vacation at Castel Gandolfo in Italy, will return there on July 29 for a musical prayer service featuring the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

As announced on July 27 by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff will lead a moment of prayer at the “Canticle of Peace,” sponsored by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) and hosted by the Borgo Laudato Si’, part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. The pontiff will have recently concluded his vacation there, having stayed from July 5–27.

The music will feature Bocelli and the ABF Voices Of choir, comprising 164 children and young people from war-torn regions, in an effort to promote peace through song.

The event also marks the 15th anniversary of the foundation and the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The pope’s reflection and prayer during the event will draw inspiration from St. Francis’ famous “Canticle of the Creatures.”

In a separate July 22 press release by the ABF, Bocelli described the initiative as an opportunity to transform differences into a harmonious peace-building effort.

“Music has this gift. It does not erase differences but transforms them into harmony,” Bocelli said.

The “Canticle of Peace” will be Leo XIV’s second summer concert at Castel Gandolfo, the other being a July 18 concert in his honor offered by the nearby Diocese of Albano. It will also be Bocelli’s second performance for the pope, having sung at the inauguration of the Borgo Laudato Si’ in 2025.

This article was originally published by EWTN News English.

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Vatican cancels 2026 World Children’s Day

Rome event set for Sept. 25–27 is scrapped as the Vatican says children’s pastoral initiatives should instead be

Vatican News: Family Bonus for Vatican Employees and Pope Francis Blesses New U.S. President Trump

Pope Francis welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and blessed Trump’s presidency; Vatican aids large families, mediates Cuban prisoner release, and urges pilgrimages to the Holy Land post-truce.

In Belgium, Pope Francis gives strong warning over scandal of abuse, cover-up

Pope Francis during a Mass in Belgium’s national stadium in Brussels on Sunday gave a strong warning to Catholics about the sin of causing scandal.

Controversial Sister Lucía Caram and Religión Digital team meet with Pope Francis

Pope Francis received the controversial nun Sister Lucía Caram and team members of the Spanish-language news portal Religión Digital, which regularly publishes content contrary to Catholic doctrine.

What’s next in the Vatican’s trial of Cardinal Becciu

After almost two and a half years, the Vatican’s “trial of the century,” in which the disgraced Cardinal

What Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia could mean for Vatican relations with Russia and China

Pope Francis’ next international trip will bring him to Mongolia, a democracy sandwiched between the authoritarian powers of

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com