Additional Coverage:
- Pope Leo XIV celebrates movies with Hollywood stars, urges inclusion of marginal voices (latimes.com)
Hollywood Heavyweights Head to Vatican, Pope Leo XIV Praises Power of Cinema
Vatican City – From the silver screen to the Holy See, a star-studded gathering of Hollywood’s finest, including Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, and Greta Gerwig, convened at the Vatican on Saturday for a special audience with Pope Leo XIV. The pontiff celebrated cinema’s unique ability to inspire and unite, urging the filmmakers to champion marginalized voices through their art.
In a frescoed Vatican hall, Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American pope, encouraged the assembled luminaries to embrace film as a “popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all.” He emphasized that authentic cinema “does not merely console, but challenges,” posing profound questions and even eliciting tears of unexpected catharsis.
This high-profile encounter, orchestrated by the Vatican’s culture ministry, aligns with recent efforts by the Holy See to bridge the gap between the Roman Catholic Church and the secular world, following similar meetings with artists and comedians. For the 70-year-old Chicago-born pontiff, who grew up during Hollywood’s golden age, the event held particular significance. Just this week, Pope Leo XIV shared his four favorite films: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Sound of Music,” “Ordinary People,” and “Life Is Beautiful.”
The Pope’s enthusiasm was palpable. He spent nearly an hour after the audience personally greeting and chatting amiably with each participant – a rare occurrence for such large gatherings, perhaps a testament to his “star-struck” demeanor.
Addressing the challenges facing the film industry, Pope Leo XIV drew applause from the celebrities as he acknowledged the decline of movie theaters, once vital social and cultural hubs. He implored institutions to “not give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value” of these cinematic spaces.
Celebrities Inspired by Pontiff’s Words
Many attendees expressed profound inspiration from Pope Leo XIV’s address, with numerous celebrities sharing their awe as they toured the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, where a light luncheon reception awaited them.
“It was a surprise to me that I even got invited,” filmmaker Spike Lee told reporters on the palace’s red carpet. Lee, a devoted Knicks fan, presented the Pope with a team jersey emblazoned with “Leo” and the number 14, highlighting that the Knicks now boast three players from the Pope’s alma mater, Villanova University, despite Leo’s known allegiance to the Chicago Bulls.
Cate Blanchett found the Pope’s comments particularly inspiring, noting his understanding of cinema’s crucial role in transcending borders and tackling complex subjects without division. “Filmmaking is about entertainment, but it’s about including voices that are often marginalized, and not [shying] away from the pain and complexity that we’re all living through right now,” she stated. Blanchett also praised the Pope’s appreciation for the communal experience of watching a film in a dark theater, emphasizing that “sitting in the dark with strangers is a way in which we can reconnect to what unites us rather than what divides us.”
A “Hit and Miss” Guest List That Grew
The diverse guest list included a mix of Italian and American filmmakers and actors, such as Monica Bellucci, Alba Rohrwacher, Chris O’Donnell, Judd Apatow, and Leslie Mann.
Director Sally Potter was particularly impressed by the Pope’s willingness to speak with each individual and lauded his comments on the value of silence and slowness in film. “It was a good model of how to be and how to think about cinema,” she remarked, highlighting his defense of “slow cinema” against algorithmic trends. Director Gus Van Sant echoed these sentiments, noting the Pope’s “very laid-back” demeanor and “fantastic message of beauty in cinema.”
Archbishop Paul Tighe, the Vatican culture ministry’s second-in-command, revealed that the guest list was compiled over just three months, with assistance from a handful of Hollywood contacts, including director Martin Scorsese. The biggest hurdle, Tighe admitted, was convincing Hollywood agents that the invitation to meet the Pope wasn’t a hoax. As word spread, some figures even approached the Vatican to request an invitation.
“It’s an industry where people have their commitments months in advance and years in advance, so obviously it was a little hit and miss, but we’re very pleased and very proud” of the turnout, Tighe stated. He underscored the event’s aim: to foster an ongoing dialogue with the world of culture, with film being a fundamental component. “It’s a very democratic art form,” Tighe concluded, calling Saturday’s audience “the celebration of an art form that I think is touching the lives of so many people and therefore recognizing it and giving it its true importance.”