Pope Leo XIV attended a Christmas concert at the Pontifical Paul VI School of Castel Gandolfo and addressed the children afterward, telling them that they brought love through their singing, just as God brought love to the world on Christmas day.
Vatican News reports that the children, dressed in white polos and jeans, sang a collection of Christmas carols, including “Adeste fideles”, “Joy to the World”, “Noël Noël”, and “Astro del ciel.”
Parents, teachers, and school staff filled the gymnasium. Monsignor Vincenzo Viva, the bishop of Albano, and Monsignor Giordano Piccinotti, the president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, were seated in the front row alongside the Pope.
Pope Leo said at the conclusion of the concert, “It was beautiful to listen to Christmas songs in Italian, Latin, English and Spanish.”
He added that listening to the different languages helped remind the audience that Christmas brings joy to everyone’s heart. Pope Leo also said that like the “angels who bring love” in one of the carols’ lyrics, the children brought love through their music.
“God wished to communicate to all of us the gift of love: this is what Christmas is,” Pope Leo said.
He added that the children must live out the spirit of love throughout the entire year: “For us this is a great invitation: to do more to proclaim peace, love and unity in the world.”
The Pope thanked the children for inviting him to the concert, saying that his invitation arrived “mysteriously” in the mail. He blessed the audience at the end of his address, encouraging the families to recognize God’s presence, especially in the littlest among them.
The children gifted Pope Leo a tennis racket and a school uniform, and took a commemorative photo with him before he left.
The Pontifical Paul VI School of Castel Gandolfo is a Catholic primary school inaugurated by Pope Paul VI on Sept. 12, 1968. Its current enrollment is 300.
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