This afternoon, shortly before 3pm, Pope Francis went to the Casina Pio IV, in the Vatican, to meet with the artists gathered for the summit convened by the Vitae Foundation.

A message to journalists from the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni:

During the conversation with them, the Pope pointed out some of the paths of communication, such as truth, goodness and, particularly for artists, beauty, the path of contemplation. “You are preachers of beauty,” the Pope told them, adding: “Beauty does you good, beauty heals, beauty moves you forward on the path!”

In answering the questions posed, Pope Francis reiterated the need, in order to speak to young people, to communicate the Gospel to them, for witness and accompaniment, which arise from one’s own dialogue with God, which provoke a journey. And returning to art, the Pope continued: “He who is on a journey is in search, art attracts to the journey” and he who is on a journey has the awareness of being awaited, that “someone is waiting for me”.

May art “open doors, touch hearts and help to walk forward”, the Pope wished and, indicating an ethic for art, underlined, among other things, that it brings “respect for the person, for the journey he or she makes”, provoking people to walk, rather than to buy. The role of art, therefore, Pope Francis explained, is to put “a thorn in the heart, which moves to contemplation and contemplation leads you to a path”.

At the end of the meeting, the artists collected the concrete commitments that had matured in their hearts, personally, during the summit, and the Pope assured that he would treasure the things heard and the paths told, keeping them in his heart.

After greeting those present individually, shortly after 17:00 Pope Francis left the Casina Pio IV and returned to Casa Santa Marta.