Michael Bublé began the night in Paul VI Hall with a soulful “Feeling Good,” drawing warm applause from Pope Leo XIV seated in the front row.
The Canadian crooner then paused, visibly moved, to soak in the atmosphere.
“This is… the greatest moment of my life and my career,” Bublé told the crowd, calling it “a beautiful night that brings hope and celebrates humanity.”
Indeed, some 8,000 people packed the venue — including 3,000 disadvantaged guests invited through charity initiatives — all there for the Vatican’s 6th annual Concert with the Poor, an event born from the heart of Pope Francis a decade ago.
Bublé next asked a “favor” of everyone present: that they not let him sing alone.
Citing Pope Leo’s own wish that people be “strong together,” he launched into the jazz classic “L-O-V-E.”
Sure enough, the entire hall — the pope included — happily sang along. In videos now making the rounds on social media, Pope Leo can be seen clapping, smiling, and singing “L is for the way you look at me” right on beat.
It’s an image of a pontiff not just for the people, but with the people in joyful song.
True to his word, Bublé also performed a reverent “Ave Maria.” He revealed at a press conference that this was the only song Pope Leo personally requested for the concert.
The choice was not random: “Ave Maria” is a favorite of Leo’s late mother, Mildred, a gifted contralto who used to bring down the house with that very hymn.
Bublé admitted he had sung Schubert’s Ave Maria only once before and felt “very nervous” about doing it live for the pope.
But with a 200-voice choir and full orchestra supporting him, Bublé delivered a stunning rendition that earned a grateful nod from Leo XIV.
The pope’s eyes glistened — perhaps remembering his mother’s voice — as the last notes soared. “I realized that there’s no fear, there’s only joy,” Bublé said of overcoming his jitters in that moment.
This remarkable evening continues a tradition Pope Francis started in 2015 to put society’s most vulnerable at the center of a Christmas celebration.
In fact, Francis conceived the Concert with the Poor to offer those in need “something they are never given — something beautiful” during the holidays.
After Bublé’s final number, Pope Leo XIV took the microphone to offer his own brief reflection on the night.
Music, the pope observed, is a universal language that bridges earthly struggles and the divine.
“Tonight, music was like a bridge that leads us to God,” Leo shared, noting that a song can express “the deepest movements of the soul” and lift our spirits even in hard times.
He reminded everyone that Christmas itself begs to be celebrated with song: “After all, the Gospel tells us that while Jesus was being born in Bethlehem, there was a great concert of angels in heaven!”
