At the end of the Wednesday general audience in Paul VI Hall, the Aqua Circus performers put on a show for the pope and pilgrims. Pope Francis participated in the spectacle by tossing a hoop at one of the acrobats.
This circus styles itself as “the European response to ‘Cirque du Soleil.’” Its show proposes defending the environment.
The artists tell the story of a mermaid and a man under the sea who fight against contamination of the ocean.
Circus troupes have performed for the pope multiple times, and he has spoken about the importance of beauty and art for humanity.
He once told an association of performers:
God loves us and wants us to be happy. Wherever there is simple, clean joy, there is his imprint. If you keep these values – this genuineness and simplicity – you are messengers of the joy that pleases God and that comes from him.
See the Rome Reports video of the performance below.
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