During his surprise visit to the school, which has about 300 students, the Holy Father listened attentively to the children and applauded enthusiastically at the end of their concert.
The pontiff delivered an impromptu greeting to the children, who sang Christmas carols in several languages for him.
“It was wonderful to hear the Christmas carols in Italian, Latin, English, and Spanish,” he said at the end of the concert, as reported by Vatican News.
“Hearing these children sing like this in all these languages helps us understand how Christmas awakens in the hearts of all of us a joy, a peace, a truly important message,” he said.
The performance took place in the school gymnasium and was also attended by parents and teachers, as well as the bishop of Albano, Vincenzo Viva, and the president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti.
The pope thanked the school for the invitation and said the children “have brought love to everyone tonight with this beautiful music.”
As is his custom, he referred to St. Augustine, noting that the saint from Hippo said that “‘he who loves, sings,’ because his heart truly knows what is important.”
“And God has wanted to communicate to all of us the gift of love: This is Christmas, God who wanted to draw near to us, especially to the little ones. May this spirit that we are already celebrating tonight, and in the coming days and at Christmas, and perhaps throughout the entire year, allow us to feel and live this love of Christmas,” said the Holy Father, who concluded his brief address on Dec. 16 with an invitation to “proclaim peace, love, and unity in the world.”
Pope Leo XIV, who wore an enormous smile on his face, took a few moments to greet the children and their families. They gave him a tennis racket because he plays tennis, a sport he loves and has been playing for years.
Before returning to the Vatican after his weekly visit to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, the pope toured the grounds of the Catholic elementary school, which was founded in 1968 by St. Paul VI and houses a relic of the saint.