Pope Leo XIV Leads Cantico di Pace Prayer with Andrea Bocelli at Castel Gandolfo

On 29 July, Pope Leo XIV presided over a prayer service called “Cantico di Pace” in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo. The event featured Andrea Bocelli and the ABF Voices choir, which brought together 164 children and youths from Israel, the West Bank, Uganda, Haiti and Italy.

The ceremony marked the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi’s death and was organized by the Centro di Alta Formazione Laudato si’ and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. The service was streamed live on Vatican News’ YouTube channel at 21:00.

Participants described the gathering as a celebration of universal fraternity and a musical call for peace, echoing St Francis’s teachings of solidarity across cultures and nations.