Pope Leo XIV is set to host a Hollywood gathering at the Vatican on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Among the high-profile names from across the film and TV industry attending are Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Chris Pine, Monica Bellucci, Wang Bing, George Miller, Marco Bellocchio, Gus Van Sant and Abel Ferrara.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Leo XIV aims to \u201cdeepen dialogue with the World of Cinema, and in particular with actors and directors\u201d to explore \u201cthe possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of the special audience at the Vatican\u2019s Apostolic Palace, the Chicago-born pontiff – who is the first pope from the US – shared four of his favourite films.<\/p>\n
Those titles are: It\u2019s a Wonderful Life (1946) by Frank Capra; The Sound of Music (1965) by Robert Wise; Ordinary People (1980) by Robert Redford; and Life Is Beautiful (1997) by Roberto Benigni.<\/p>\n
Even if we would have loved to see a more surprising inclusion in there (The Exorcist<\/strong><\/a> could have been a nice shout, or even Mad Max: Fury Road, considering George Miller will be in attendance on Saturday), the uplifting classics are hard to argue against.<\/p>\n That said, given the Catholic Church\u2019s deeply inconsistent historic relationship with the Nazi regime and inaction during the Holocaust (including taking a position of neutrality and impartiality as 6 million Jews and millions of others were slaughtered), both The Sound of Music and Life Is Beautiful can seem like bizarre inclusions.<\/p>\n Still, who doesn’t love It\u2019s a Wonderful Life?<\/p>\n It’s A Wonderful Life <\/span> – Paramount Pictures <\/span><\/p>\n This weekend\u2019s event seems like a positive signal that Pope Leo XIV is keen to cultivate a close rapport with the arts, and this is not the first time that the pontiff has met with Hollywood celebrities.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n