Pope Francis on Friday met organizers and artistes of the Vatican’s annual Christmas concert that is scheduled for Saturday, December 14.
By Robin Gomes
By being born in a humble manger, God launched the only true revolution of love and tenderness that gives hope and dignity to the disinherited and the outcast.
Pope Francis made the point to the organizers and artistes of the 27th annual Christmas charity concert of the Vatican, promoted by the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and supported by the Don Bosco Valdocco Missions of the Salesians and the Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes.
Hunger and thirst within
The proceeds from the concert which will help in the protection of the Pan-Amazon region and its indigenous people through the charity project, “Let’s network for the Amazon”.
The Pope explained that Christmas is a time of expectation when we ask ourselves about our hearts’ desire. Through this inner thirst, he said, God Himself comes to meet us on the road where there is hunger and thirst for peace, justice, freedom and love.
“You too, with your songs, help awaken or reawaken this healthy human “yearning” in the hearts of many people,” the Pope told the concert artistes.
“The nativity scene clearly teaches that we cannot let ourselves be fooled by wealth and fleeting promises of happiness…” the Pope said citing from his recent Apostolic Letter “Admirabile Signum”, on the meaning and importance of the Nativity scene.
God’s revolution of love
“By being born in a manger, God himself launches the only true revolution that can give hope and dignity to the disinherited and the outcast: the revolution of love, the revolution of tenderness,” the Pope said.
“From the manger, Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is excluded or marginalized.”
By taking us aback with His humble birth, the Pope explained, God constantly invites us not to grow proud but to grasp His disarming power in every little gesture of goodwill.
Global village of education
The Pope noted that artistes have a certain influence on young people’s ways of thinking and acting. Beauty and truth that bring joy to man’s heart, he said, unite generations and makes them share in admiration.
“For this reason,” Pope Francis said, “all of us are called to build a “global village of education”, weaving a web of human relationships for these are the best antidote to all forms of discrimination, violence and bullying.”
In this village, he noted, education and art meet through the languages of music and poetry, painting and sculpture, theatre and cinema. All these expressions of human creativity can be channels of fraternity and peace between the peoples that make up the human family, and of dialogue between the world’s religions.
Among the numerous international singers and musicians from around the world performing at Saturday’s charity concert are Lionel Richie, Bonnie Tyler, Susan Boyle, Mirelle Mathieu, Leo Rojas and several Italian artistes. Among the choirs will be the Charleston Mass Gospel Choir from the USA, the Italian Piccolo Coro Le Dolci Note and the Art Voice Academy.
