Vatican City lit up in an array of 3000 drone lights as the World Meeting on Human Fraternity concluded with a concert with renown global artists in front of St Peter’s Basilica.

The event started on Friday where several thematic tables were opened up around Rome dedicated to current issues, culture, society, innovation and profession. These discussion panels were open to the public and involved conversations and presentations by experts and professionals.

The Synod Hall, inside the Vatican, hosted the Children’s round table which was dedicated to discussing the goal to help children and young people protect and nurture the gifts that God has given them. One of the key speakers at the table was Nobel Peace prize Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi. Kailash is an Indian human rights activist who has dedicated himself to ending child slavery and exploitation.

He shared, “I started looking at the world and questioning that if God has made us as equal, as the Supreme Father, how come some children are denied dreams and aspirations, education, healthcare, future, everything? I was an engineer and then I gave up the career. The core reason was that my feeling for children and other vulnerable people gave me a strength, a force that motivated me to take action instead of sitting quiet. That is compassion.”

Kailiash, together with many of his other Nobel Laureate friends and world leaders have launched a movement called the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion. The idea behind this movement is to go beyond mercy, kindness and love. Despite these being great human traits, Mr Satyarthi believes true compassion is a force born from feeling the suffering of others as one’s own and doing everything possible to alleviate that suffering. 

“This movement,” he said, “is working on many issues, building youth leadership, which is compassionate, working with different sections of society, compassionate medical professionals, compassionate policing, compassionate judiciary, compassionate politics, where they can feel that these children are our children.” 

And, “They can feel that these women are our women who are being raped, who are being killed. We have to hear the cry of innocence from Gaza. Every day our children are being assassinated. They are killed, they are maimed, they are orphaned, they are kept hungry. There is no scarcity of food, but the trucks are stopped by those who are working against humanity. I would say that all Israeli children are also my children. All Palestinian children are my children, your children. They are our children.”

The following day, the Vatican experienced its first ever free public concert in St Peter’s Square. The historic ‘Grace for the World’ concert welcomed Andrea Boccelli, John Legend, Pharrell Williams and many more artists on stage. Thousands gathered in the square, coming together as a community and uniting in fraternity through music. 

One music student present shared, “I think, not only music but in general, art, it’s a uniting force for the people because it’s always a process of translating human experience.”

“We all just came here and we’re altogether,” another student commented, “and fighting for peace and all human rights, just standing as a united person and as a united group so that we can overcome anything.” 

One local Roman added, “We feel privileged, definitely very lucky to be able to live in peace here and to come together for such an event.”

The concert commenced with a breathtaking performance from Maestro Andrea Bocceli accompanied by the first round of the drone light show organized by Nova Sky Stories, an advanced drone entertainment created to support live performances. The drones shapeshifted into the works of Michelangelo, the face of Pope Francis, the Jubilee logo and many more symbols of hope and Christianity.

Performances ranged from opera, rap, gospel and pop throughout the night with intervals from speakers including Cardinal Mauro Gambetti on peace, unity and justice.

Some stumbled upon the concert like one French couple, “It’s amazing because for us we were just here on vacation, the two of us and we saw that. And I was like okay let’s go, let’s do this. We came here at 3, waiting for, to have a good spot to see the concert.” 

Another tourist from the Netherlands noted, “It’s so good that everyone’s connecting here and the whole square is filled with people and the fact that this is an open space for everyone to share their love and experiences, I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

The World Meeting on Human Fraternity and Grace for the World concert served as a reiteration and a symbol of what the world is desperately in need of today: rebuilding their relationship with Christ and coming together despite differences. 

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Adapted by Jacob Stein

Produced by Alexey Gotovsky; Camera by Fabio Gonnella