Michael Bublé's recent Vatican concert was evidence of the enduring nature of the hymn

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“This is really the greatest moment of my life, and of my career, right now!”

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So said Michael Bublé, emotionally and extravagantly and perhaps excessively, at a concert a few weeks back at the Vatican in the presence of Pope Leo XIV. Or perhaps not excessively. Vegas fills the bank account but does not uplift the spirit.

The Canadian crooner delighted the Roman audience, drawn from the city and the world, whom he endearingly invited to sing along with the refrain to “You Were Always on My Mind,” famously covered by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. Likely the first time that was sung at the Vatican’s vast audience hall, Bublé’s version was better.

Backed by an orchestra and enormous choir, Bublé headlined the annual “concert with the poor,” an initiative that invites some 6,000 of Rome’s poor to the Vatican for an afternoon of music and spectacle. It was the idea of the late Pope Francis, who sometimes celebrated his birthday by inviting the homeless to lunch. It is a pleasing thing that Leo has decided to continue it.

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