Online responses also focused on the unusual setting and Bublé’s emotional delivery. One viewer described his singing at the Vatican as timeless, saying that the combination of his voice and a place rich in history turned the concert into a memorable event. Another said the live show had moved them to tears and offered thanks to Bublé.

The Vatican appearance was not Bublé’s only unusual performance involving a personally important figure. He also had an opportunity to duet with his late hero, Bing Crosby, through a technologically created presentation. A recording of one of Crosby’s earlier performances was shown digitally, enabling Bublé to sing alongside him and add harmonies to the original performance.

That digital duet allowed Bublé to pay tribute to Crosby, while the Vatican concert placed him before Pope Leo XIV for a requested song he had rarely performed. The program also included the Pope’s participation during “L.O.V.E.,” Bublé’s statement about the importance of the occasion and their personal meeting after the performance.

The Vatican established the Concert for the Poor in 2015, and Bublé appeared at its sixth edition ten years later. Its name comes from the Vatican’s custom of welcoming vulnerable and disadvantaged guests to the event. Those invited include people experiencing homelessness, refugees and others from disadvantaged backgrounds.