A multilingual concert in Rome celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Vatican John Paul II Foundation brought together music, prayer and the late pontiff’s enduring appeals for peace, Vatican News reported on October 23, 2026.
Psalms across languages
Held at Rome’s Auditorium della Conciliazione, the concert included psalms sung in Polish, Italian and English, as well as the Our Father in Swahili. Passages from Karol Wojtyła’s reflections and songs about forgiveness and reconciliation linked the musical programme to John Paul II’s spiritual legacy.
A shared appeal for peace
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz recalled John Paul II’s efforts to promote unity in a world marked by conflict, including his initiative to gather religious leaders in Assisi. He encouraged participants to renew their commitment to peace through prayer.
Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik, president of the Vatican John Paul II Foundation, described the concert as an expression of dialogue between faith and culture. Participants included guests from Poland and Polish communities abroad, diplomats and Vatican communications representatives.
Faith expressed through art
The anniversary concert illustrates how music can connect a papal legacy with contemporary hopes for reconciliation. Its multilingual programme gave the message of peace an international dimension without making the gathering itself a political event.
Source
Vatican News, October 23, 2026: Psalms with John Paul II: A prayer for peace.
