Pope Leo XIV, marking a historic moment as the first American pope, will host a gathering of notable figures from Hollywood at the Vatican aimed at enhancing communication with the film industry.
This Saturday morning, the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican will welcome many prominent stars and filmmakers, including Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Spike Lee, George Miller, and Gus Van Sant.
A press release from the Vatican stated that the pope aims to “deepen dialogue with the film community” and explore how artistic creativity can play a role in the Church’s mission and the promotion of human values.
In addition, the Vatican revealed some of Pope Leo’s favorite films. These include It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), The Sound of Music (1965), Ordinary Person (1980), and Life is Wonderful (1997).
As noted by Variety, there hasn’t been a recent event of this kind at the Vatican; however, in June 2024, Pope Francis held a gathering with comedians, including Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon.
This announcement follows Pope Leo’s recent meeting with Robert De Niro and his children, Julian and Dorena, in the Vatican. De Niro was in Rome to accept the Lupa Capitolina award and participated in the opening of the Nobu Hotel Roma on the famous Via Veneto.
Previously, Pope Leo mentioned his intention to address the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence during his papacy.
He chose the name Leo XIV for various reasons, mainly inspired by Pope Leo XIII’s famous encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed social issues in the context of the first industrial revolution.
He emphasized that the Church is providing its social teachings in response to the current industrial revolution and the developments in artificial intelligence that challenge human dignity, justice, and the workforce.
