A song by a Bethlehem resident made in connection with a London-based band has been praised by Pope Francis as Christmas approaches.

Youstina Safar, a student at Bethlehem University, has collaborated with the band Ooberfuse on the song Hear Angels Cry. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales issued a statement saying the song “resonates with the belief that hope for a better future, born in the hearts of humanity.”

In a message to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, the Vatican said Pope Francis “was pleased to learn of the Bethlehem Song Project”.