Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Cinema With Hollywood Stars/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Pope Leo XIV hosted top Hollywood stars at the Vatican, praising cinema’s power to unite and inspire. He urged filmmakers to include marginalized voices and preserve the cultural significance of movie theaters. The unprecedented audience featured Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, and Greta Gerwig, among others.
Pope Leo’s Hollywood Celebration Quick Looks
- Pope Leo XIV held a special Vatican audience honoring film’s cultural impact.
- Celebrities in attendance included Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig, and Gus Van Sant.
- Pope praised cinema as “a popular art” that can challenge and console.
- Leo encouraged representation of marginalized voices in storytelling.
- He named his favorite films, including It’s a Wonderful Life and Life Is Beautiful.
- The pope spent nearly an hour personally greeting each guest.
- Filmmakers applauded his remarks on inclusion, empathy, and the preservation of theaters.
- The guest list included actors, directors, and producers from both the U.S. and Italy.
Deep Look
Pope Leo XIV Welcomes Hollywood’s Elite to Vatican, Calls for Inclusive Storytelling in Global Cinema
VATICAN CITY — In a dazzling display of cross-cultural diplomacy and artistic recognition, Pope Leo XIV hosted an unprecedented audience with global film stars at the Vatican on Saturday. Welcoming acclaimed filmmakers and actors including Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig, and Gus Van Sant, the pope praised cinema’s power to build empathy and bridge divides—and called on the film industry to lift up marginalized voices through their craft.
Held in the ornate Vatican Apostolic Palace, the gathering was a rare moment of intersection between religion and the arts, with the 70-year-old Chicago-born pontiff sharing his lifelong passion for film.
“When cinema is authentic,” Pope Leo said in his address, “it does not merely console, but challenges. It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we didn’t know we needed to shed.”
A Lifetime Love of Movies
The first American pope, Leo revealed his four favorite films earlier in the week: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Life Is Beautiful. The selections reflect a lifelong appreciation for the emotional and moral depth cinema can offer.
The pope’s heartfelt speech drew applause from the audience of filmmakers, who were also treated to a light luncheon afterward. Unlike most Vatican events, Leo personally greeted each guest, chatting and posing for photos in a rare show of informality for such a large audience.
Spike Lee Presents Papal Knicks Jersey
Filmmaker Spike Lee added a touch of sports diplomacy by gifting the pope a New York Knicks jersey, customized with “Leo” and the number 14. While Pope Leo is known to support the Chicago Bulls, Lee pointed out that the Knicks currently boast three Villanova University alumni—the pope’s alma mater.
“I was shocked to even be invited,” Lee said. “But it was an incredible honor.”
Blanchett and Gerwig on the Importance of Cinema
Actress Cate Blanchett praised the pontiff for understanding how cinema can transcend boundaries.
“Filmmaking is about entertainment, yes—but also about including voices that are often silenced,” she said. “Leo’s remarks were powerful because they acknowledged the complexity and pain many around the world are facing—and the unique role cinema plays in navigating that.”
Blanchett emphasized the shared human experience found in cinema, particularly in the setting of a darkened movie theater.
“Sitting in the dark with strangers,” she said, “is a way to reconnect with what unites us, not what divides us.”
Director Greta Gerwig, known for films like Barbie and Lady Bird, nodded in agreement as Blanchett spoke, echoing support for greater inclusivity in storytelling.
“Slow Cinema” and Resistance to Algorithms
Director Sally Potter highlighted the pope’s defense of “slow cinema”—films that resist fast-paced, algorithm-driven content and instead focus on contemplative, artistic storytelling.
“He spoke about the value of silence and slowness,” Potter noted. “That’s rare to hear, especially in a media landscape obsessed with speed and engagement metrics.”
Gus Van Sant: “The Pope’s Got Vibes”
Filmmaker Gus Van Sant appreciated the pope’s calm and creative spirit, calling him “laid back” and praising his emphasis on beauty in film.
“He gets it,” Van Sant said. “It was honestly one of the most beautiful moments I’ve experienced as a filmmaker.”
A Guest List Built in Just Months
Archbishop Paul Tighe, the Vatican’s top culture official, revealed that the guest list was compiled in just three months. With help from Martin Scorsese and other trusted Hollywood contacts, invitations were sent, though skepticism initially ran high.
“We had to convince agents that it wasn’t a hoax,” Tighe admitted. “But as word spread, people began asking to be included.”
Tighe emphasized that Saturday’s audience was part of a broader Vatican initiative to engage more deeply with the cultural world—a mission Pope Leo has championed since his election.
“It’s a very democratic art form,” Tighe said of cinema. “Film touches the lives of so many people, and it’s essential that the Vatican recognizes and supports it.”
A Celebration of Cinema’s Higher Purpose
The Vatican has previously held similar events with musicians, painters, and comedians, but this was the first of its kind to honor cinema so directly.
Pope Leo, who has shown a willingness to engage in public discourse beyond Church walls, made it clear that art—particularly film—can be a force for good, healing, and truth.
“I urge institutions not to give up,” he said, “but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of cinema.”
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