Pope Leo XIV: "Beauty helps us lift our gaze toward heaven"
By Guglielmo Gallone in Castel Gandolfo
"We live in a world where beauty is lacking. There are so many problems—wars, conflicts, hatred, violence, unemployment, and many other difficulties. Having the opportunity to come together for an occasion like this is truly a great gift, because it reminds us that there is more than all of this. It reminds us that men and women, when we choose to, can join together to reveal a beauty that, from heart to heart, helps us to see and to lift our gaze toward heaven." With these words, Pope Leo XIV greeted those in attendance on Saturday evening at the conclusion of a concert held in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo. The concert was organized by the Diocese of Albano as a sign of closeness and affection for the Pope during his summer stay in the town south of Rome.
Lifting our gaze toward heaven
"As you know, just over a month ago I traveled to Spain, and the very purpose of that journey was to lift our eyes, our gaze, toward heaven. Music, art, and beauty are means that help us look upward, moving toward God, and toward what is truly one of the finest aspects of the human person," the Pope continued. Reflecting on the value of music and art, he described them as means capable of raising the human gaze beyond the hardships of the present, pointing to beauty as an experience that leads to God and restores hope. That was precisely what took place during the concert. Violinist Marco Rogliano performed the Polonaise with Variations from Niccolò Paganini's Third Violin Concerto, while pianist Rossana Tomassi Golkar, accompanied by I Musici di Parma orchestra under the direction of Maestro Pier Carlo Orizio, performed Libera fantasia e variazioni sulla Norma by Luis Bacalov, based on Vincenzo Bellini's Norma.
Pope Leo XIV began by expressing his gratitude to the musicians: "A heartfelt thank you to the artists, who deeply moved me. And thanks to the Diocese of Albano for offering this concert to us—to all of you gathered here—because in these moments of beauty we have truly been able to experience something great: entering, in so many ways, into what God intended in creation, namely beauty," the Pope said.
The Bishop of Albano's remarks
The evening had opened with welcome remarks by the Bishop of Albano, Bishop Vincenzo Viva, who greeted Pope Leo XIV by recalling the local Church's gratitude for the Pope's return to Castel Gandolfo. He explained that the concert was intended to be "our way of saying thank you and of sharing together the gift of symphonic music." Referring to Bellini's Norma, the Bishop also turned his thoughts to "the women and mothers who, in the many theaters of war tearing the world apart, are paying—together with their children and families—the highest price of conflict." He observed that in them is reflected the hope of "a reconciled tomorrow," echoing Pope Leo XIV's appeal for peace, which he has reiterated since the beginning of his pontificate.
Between Paganini and Bellini
The concert program brought into dialogue two leading figures of nineteenth-century Italian music, Niccolò Paganini and Vincenzo Bellini. The two works were united by their lyrical, singing quality, creating a musical journey that wove together instrumental virtuosity and the language of opera. The reinterpretation of Norma, in particular, retraced—through piano and orchestra alone—the protagonist's journey from suffering to forgiveness and self-sacrifice, transforming a personal story into a universal reflection on the power of love and peace. As the concert program noted, it also spoke to beauty's ability to resonate even "through air shaken by the winds of war." It was a message of hope that, from beneath the skies of Castel Gandolfo, aspired to become universal. Fittingly, the concert concluded with a projection of a star-filled sky on the screen framing the orchestra. At the end of the performance, the Holy Father greeted the musicians and those in attendance, pausing for the traditional greeting before leaving the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.
