Beauty opens us to God’s gifts, Pope tells donors to Vatican Museums

October 08, 2026

Pope Leo XIV thanked the Louisiana Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums for their generosity and told them that “beauty possesses the power to awaken the noblest desires of the human heart, calling us beyond ourselves and opening our souls to the gratuity of God’s gifts.”

“In an age dominated by technology, in which efficiency and profit often take precedence, it is so important that we continue to cultivate a spirit of contemplation and allow time and space for beauty,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place on October 7. “Such an attitude will greatly help humanity, especially young people, not only to discover the ability of art to uplift and reveal the depths of the human spirit and our openness to the divine, but also to realize that the gift of self is essential for authentic fulfillment.”

“Ultimately, contemplation presents a marvelous opportunity to encounter the God who is Beauty, whom Saint Augustine described as ever-ancient and ever-new, a Beauty that captivates and continuously draws all people to himself,” the Pope added.

 

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Further information:

• Greeting of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to the Louisiana Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 10/7/26)
• Audience of the Holy Father with a group of “Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums” from Louisiana (Holy See Press Office, 10/7/26)
• Pope to art patrons: Be open to Beauty and foster contemplation (Vatican News, 10/7/26)