VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Popular American singer Pharrell Williams gave a new age-inspired speech last week during the Vatican’s “Grace for the World” concert, calling on the interfaith attendees to share their “grace” with one another and become “lights of the universe,” but notably omitted any mention of Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
In his September 13 speech, Williams, who is known for his sexually explicit songs, emphasized that people of all faiths need to come together and share their “grace,” which he defined as a “light that lives in each of us” with the world and thus become “lights of the universe.” The concert marked the conclusion of the third annual World Meeting on Human Fraternity in Rome that was inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on human fraternity, Fratelli Tutti. and featured performances by other artists known for their provocative music, as well as a drone-generated image of Pope Francis over Saint Peter’s Basilica.
“Grace is a light that lives in … each of us, waiting to be shared. Not just a blessing that we receive but a force that we extend to one another,” Williams said. “Beneath every culture, every language, every story is the same breath, the same spirit, the same light: the light of the universe. The all that is, all that ever will be.”
“This (concert) is an opportunity for all of the light to come together … an opportunity for people to galvanize and recognize their strength in numbers,” he added. “We still haven’t done that as a species; we still haven’t asked ourselves for the sake of humanity, far beyond the reaches and constrictions of different religions. Can we just hold hands for a moment and see the light that we have?”
LifeSite editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen questioned what “light” Williams was referring to in this speech, noting that Satan is called “the angel of light” in scripture.
New Age speech coming to you right from the Vatican! What light is he talking about? No mention of Christ – Satan was called the Angel of Light. https://t.co/UAG7XJ9MTk
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) September 14, 2025
Indeed, the term “light of the universe” is often used by the New Age Movement to refer to an omnipresent 0″divine energy,” which they falsely believe exists in place of the personal God described in the Gospel. The Catholic Church also teaches, in accordance with Sacred Scripture, that Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose name was not mentioned once in Williams’s speech, is the light of the world.
The Church also teaches that sanctifying grace is not “a light” each of us holds but is the supernatural life of God that the faithful receive through the sacrament of baptism and can be increased through the reception of the other sacraments, prayer, and good works. Grace is wounded when one commits a venial sin and is killed when one commits a mortal sin, though it can be restored through the sacrament of confession.
In addition to Williams, the “Grace for the World” concert was headlined by several other songwriters, including John Legend, who has written and performed sexually explicit songs. Karol G, one of the most popular singers of reggaeton music who regularly performs pornographically in her music videos, also performed at the event.
READ: Hypersexual reggaeton singer Karol G to perform at Vatican concert
The concert also featured a drone show above St. Peter’s Square, which featured drone-generated images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, multiple works of Michelangelo, and most notably the late Pope Francis, whose 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti “on fraternity and human friendship” that inspired the event.
WATCH: Vatican concert features drone-created images of Pope Francis over St. Peter’s Basilica
Fratelli Tutti is widely argued to promote religious indifferentism and was condemned by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former papal nuncio to the U.S., as promoting a “blasphemous” form of brotherhood without God as well as “religious indifferentism.”
