Vatican City, Dec 11, 2003 / 22:00 pm
The Pope John Paul II received on Friday a group of artists who will perform at the traditional Christmas concert in the Vatican, which will take place on Saturday evening in the Paul VI Hall.
Noting that “this is a show organized to gather funds to build new churches in Rome, especially on the periphery,” the Pontiff expressed his best wishes for Christmas to the promoters, organizers and performers.
“Christmas,” he said, “reminds us that the Son of God, taking on human nature, became the traveling companion of every person throughout time. May this feast, so deeply felt by families, be a propitious occasion to feel the closeness and love of God.”