Michael Bublé called meeting Pope Leo XIV on Friday “one of the greatest moments of my life,” adding that as he prepares to headline the Vatican’s annual Christmas concert for the poor, he hopes his example will encourage more people to speak openly about their faith.
The Grammy-winning singer, who grew up in Burnaby, B.C., and first sang publicly in local talent shows and hockey arenas, said faith “changes everything in my life, every single interaction.” Bublé has often spoken of his close-knit Canadian family, his grandparents’ influence, and the Catholic upbringing that shaped his early years.
“When you say that you have strong faith, this is shocking to people, which is sometimes hard for me to understand,” Bublé said in response to a question from CNA at a Vatican press conference on Dec. 5.
“And with the platform I have, my hope is that … there’s a young person who might listen to me today who might be afraid to share their faith or to be open about it, and they look at me and they say, ‘Wow, look at Bublé. He’s not afraid to share it,’ and maybe it will give them the strength to do the same.”
Bublé met Pope Leo XIV on Friday along with other artists participating in the Vatican’s sixth annual “Concert with the Poor” on Saturday, Dec. 6.
“I am overwhelmed,” he said. “This morning, I had the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. For me, this was something that I knew was going to be one of the greatest moments of my life.”
This year marks the first time a Pope will attend the concert, which is free and offered to 3,000 people in need served by volunteer organizations around Rome. They will receive a hot takeaway dinner and other necessities after the event.
“We know that times are difficult for many people, and there’s a lot of darkness,” Bublé said. “I feel like when you have faith, you have your own pilot light. And the lights can go out everywhere, everywhere, but if you have that faith and you have that light inside you, you can find your way.”
I asked Michael Bublé about how his faith at a Vatican press conference today and this was his response: pic.twitter.com/WF80pnhNzf
— Courtney Mares (@catholicourtney) December 5, 2025
The singer told EWTN News after the press conference that it was especially meaningful to introduce the pontiff to his mother, who was his childhood catechism teacher.
“A lot of people won’t know, but I was raised in the Catholic Church, and my mother was my catechism teacher,” said Bublé, who has noted in previous interviews that he does not identify with a particular organized religion.
For Bublé, Christmas remains rooted in the faith he learned growing up in Metro Vancouver. “Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ and the sacrifice that allows all of us to have an eternal life,” he said, describing how music is central to his spiritual life.
“Music is a gift from God,” he said. “I talk to so many people today about what a gift from God music is.”
Bublé noted that Silent Night and Adeste Fideles are among his favourite Christmas hymns.
He said he asked the Pope for specific song requests for the concert, which will feature selections Pope Leo enjoys. One of them is Ave Maria, a piece not normally in Bublé’s repertoire. He acknowledged feeling “a bit nervous” to perform it before the Pope and was coaxed into offering reporters a brief a cappella preview during the press conference.
The concert will also feature the choir of the Diocese of Rome, the Nuova Opera Orchestra, and Catholic composer Monsignor Marco Frisina. Past editions have been conducted by composers Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone.
“Before every show … I say, ‘Thank you, God, for giving me the ability to connect with these beautiful souls,’” Bublé said.
With B.C. Catholic files
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