(NewsNation) — Music icon Michael Bublé has described meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican as “one of the greatest moments of my life.”

The pair met Friday ahead of Bublé’s headline performance at the Vatican’s annual Christmas “Concert with the Poor” on Saturday.

Bublé told the media that Pope Leo asked him to perform “Ave Maria.” The Canadian noted “Silent Night” and “Adeste Fideles” are two of his favorite Christmas hymns.

According to Catholic News Agency, it will be the first time a pope has attended the free concert, which is offered to 3,000 individuals in need. Following the performances, they are invited to receive dinner and necessities.

Bublé, who was raised Catholic, spoke about his religious convictions during a news conference Friday.

“When you say that you have strong faith, this is shocking to people, which is sometimes hard for me to understand,” Bublé said.

“And with the platform I have, my hope is that … there’s a young person who might listen to me today who might be afraid to share their faith or to be open about it, and they look at me and they say, ‘Wow, look at Bublé. He’s not afraid to share it,’ and maybe it will give them the strength to do the same.”

Bublé added that while there may often be “a lot of darkness” in the world, faith in God can provide people with solace unlike anything else.

“Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ and the sacrifice that allows all of us to have an eternal life,” Bublé said, describing how music is central to his spiritual life.

“Music is a gift from God. I talk to so many people today about what a gift from God music is.”