A few days after his concert at the Vatican, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé took to Instagram Dec. 10 to reflect on his time there, which included a meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
“Trying to put this past weekend into words feels almost impossible,” Bublé wrote. “Faith has always been woven into my life, little me in that white First Communion outfit is proof of that,” he said, referencing a short video he posted of him as a child that faded into a shot of him shaking hands with the Holy Father.
Bublé met Pope Leo on Dec. 5 ahead of the annual Vatican Christmas concert for the poor.
“For this young kid from Burnaby (British Columbia), who grew up Catholic … It’s almost impossible to really express to you how it feels,” Bublé said in a news conference following the meeting.
With an impressive repertoire of pop, jazz and Christmas standards that span over 20 years and five Grammy awards, it’s no surprise to see videos of the American pontiff clapping and singing along during Bublé’s set list, which included a few requests from Pope Leo himself. The experience of performing for 3,000 attendees at the Dec. 6 concert and meeting the pope with his wife and parents is something that Bublé said he will “carry with [him] forever.”
“God has quietly remained at the center of everything I do and when I look back on my life and career, I can see his hand in all of it: in my family, my friends, everyone I’ve worked with, and in all of you,” Bublé wrote in his post. “Nothing prepares you for this.”
“I’ve always believed there’s a light in each of us, and this experience renewed mine in a way I didn’t expect. I’m deeply grateful and humbled to have shared my music in this setting,” Bublé continued.
Pope Leo shared a similar sentiment in remarks following the concert.
“As the melodies touched our hearts, we felt the inestimable value of music: not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to everyone, rich and poor, learned and simple,” the pope said Dec. 6.
“As we move into the holiday season, I hope you find moments of peace, connection, and comfort. Whatever you may be holding, I hope it feels a little lighter,” Bublé concluded in his message. “And may we keep choosing gentleness with ourselves and with one another.”
