Pope Leo XIV attended the eleventh edition of the Christmas concert, InCanto, performed by pupils of the Paul VI Primary School in Castel Gandolfo. The Pope joined the students and their families in the gymnasium for the musical performance after visiting Villa Barberini. Students emphasized that true richness is measured by the peace generated within oneself and in relationships with others, not by material possessions. The concert featured performances of various Christmas carols, including 'Adeste fideles' and 'Joy to the World'. Pope Leo XIV encouraged those present to share the gift of love at Christmas and communicate a message of peace and unity.
3 months ago
Pope Leo XIV made a surprise visit to the Pontifical Paul VI School in Castel Gandolfo on December 16, 2025, attending the 11th edition of the school's Christmas concert "InCanto."1 2 3 4 The event occurred in the school gymnasium during the Pope's regular weekly stay at nearby Villa Barberini.1 2 Hundreds of pupils, parents, teachers, Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano, and Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti attended.1 4
Over 200 children, dressed in jeans and white shirts or sweatshirts, performed Christmas carols in Italian, Latin, English, and Spanish.1 2 3 4 Songs included "Adeste fideles," "Joy to the World," "Noël Noël," "Astro del ciel," and "The Little Drummer Boy," with some featuring hand motions or sign language.1 2 3 The concert highlighted music as a universal language awakening joy and peace, and was live-streamed on Facebook.2 3
Pope Leo described the invitation as arriving "mysteriously" and praised the multilingual songs for showing Christmas's universal joy and peace.1 2 3 4 Reflecting on lyrics about "angels who bring love," he said the children embodied love through song, quoting St. Augustine: "the one who loves sings."1 2 3 4 He emphasized Christmas as God's gift of love to the smallest and vulnerable, urging all to live this spirit year-round by proclaiming "peace, love, and unity" in the world.1 2 3 4
The Pope led the Lord's Prayer, blessed attendees, and encouraged recognizing God in the smallest.1 3 Children gifted him a tennis racket—acknowledging his love for the sport—and the school uniform; he posed for photos.1 2 3 4 He greeted families warmly, smiling throughout and applauding enthusiastically.2 4
The Pontifical Paul VI School, a Catholic primary institution 700 meters from Villa Barberini, serves about 300 pupils with programs in sports, music, languages, and civic education.1 2 4 Founded and inaugurated by St. Paul VI in 1968 as a gift to the community, it houses a relic of the saint.1 4
Investigate how Catholic teaching uses music to promote peace and unity
Catholic tradition profoundly recognizes music—particularly sacred singing and choral harmony—as a potent symbol and catalyst for fostering unity within the Church and promoting peace amid division. From patristic exegesis to papal exhortations, teachings portray music not merely as artistic expression but as a participatory act that mirrors the Holy Trinity's oneness, harmonizes diverse voices, and extends reconciliation to the world. This essay explores how these dimensions unfold across Scripture, liturgy, ecumenism, and contemporary appeals.
At the heart of Catholic teaching lies the image of a choir, where individual voices blend into a unified melody, emblematic of the Church's communion. Pope Leo XIV, in his homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King, draws on Saint Ignatius of Antioch to illustrate this: "the different voices of a choir harmonize with each other, giving rise to a single hymn of praise, a luminous symbol of the Church, which unites everyone in love in a single pleasing melody." This harmony reflects the Holy Spirit's work, transforming multiplicity into oneness, much as Saint Augustine expounds on Psalm 96: the "new song" of love for God and neighbor builds the "house of God," where the whole earth—diverse yet united—forms one structure through "forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Pope Pius XII echoes this in Mediator Dei, urging the promotion of "congregational singing" to arouse faith and piety, so that the "full harmonious singing of our people rise to heaven like the bursting of a thunderous sea" and testifies "to the unity of their hearts and minds, as becomes brothers and the children of the same Father." Here, music is no passive adornment but an active builder of fraternal bonds, countering fragmentation with shared praise.
In the liturgy, music elevates the faithful beyond words, making the divine mystery "tangible and concrete." Pope Francis highlights this in addressing an ecumenical delegation, thanking a choir—the Dresdner Kapellknaben—for their "wonderful unison, the harmony that the many voices find, and which reminds us of the work of the Holy Spirit, who unites the many!" He positions music as a universal language that "challenge[s], inspire[s] and uplift[s] people," transcending linguistic barriers to evoke the Trinity's reconciling force.
This liturgical emphasis aligns with Saint Paul's vision, invoked by multiple sources: the Church as a "multitude gathered and unified in and through the Oneness of God," where members "bear with one another in love, 'eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.'" Singing thus becomes a sacramental sign, forging unity from legitimate diversity.
Catholic teaching extends music's unifying power to ecumenical and global reconciliation. Pope John Paul II, in a 1986 ecumenical address, presents the Church as the "instrument of salvation... effective sign and means of unity and reconciliation," bearing the Trinity's "reconciling force." Music embodies this, as seen in his 1995 appeal following a concert by the Ottorino Respighi Academy: amid wars and oppressions, the "concorde action" of diverse "persons and instruments" recalls that "peace is possible only when ognuno, accogliendo le ricchezze degli altri, si impegna ad offrire il meglio di sé" (each, welcoming others' riches, commits to offering one's best in patient dialogue). He hopes such music will educate youth "agli ideali della pace e della solidarietà" (to ideals of peace and solidarity), constructing a "more free and fraternal world."
Pope Francis reinforces this with the "miracle" of German unity in 1989, sparked by peaceful prayer processions—a harmony akin to choral witness that opened paths to reconciliation. Music, then, is a prophetic tool, embodying hope for the world's peace through ecclesial oneness.
Saint Augustine provides the theological bedrock, contrasting the "old song" of fleshly lust with the "new song" of Christ's commandment to love: "If all the earth sings a new song, it is thus building while it sings." This act fastens believers into "one stone formed out of many" via love's forbearance, prefiguring the Church as the new temple supplanting the old. Such exegesis roots music in salvation history, where song edifies unity against ruinous division.
Recent popes integrate these traditions into urgent pleas. Pope Leo XIV's choir imagery amid Christ's kingship underscores triumphant unity. Pope Francis links small musical witnesses to grand graces, like the "tiny seed" growing into beauty beyond human effort. Collectively, these teachings exhort active participation: from parish choirs to concerts, music counters conflict by fostering dialogue and mutual enrichment.
In summary, Catholic teaching deploys music as a Trinitarian echo—harmonizing diversity into unity, igniting piety, and advancing peace. By singing the "new song" of love, the faithful build God's house and witness reconciliation to a fractured world, as popes from Pius XII to Leo XIV continually affirm. Let this inspire deeper liturgical engagement, where every voice contributes to heaven's symphony.