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.
