The Vatican is preparing for a star-studded audience unlike any in its history. Pope Leo XIV will host an exclusive gathering of Hollywood figures - including Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Dave Franco, Emma Stone, and Greta Gerwig - in what Church officials describe as “a dialogue on art, morality, and the modern imagination.”
The special session, set for later this week inside the Apostolic Palace, is being organized in partnership with the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Vatican’s Office for Communications. It marks the first time a Pope has formally convened an audience dedicated to filmmakers and actors since John Paul II’s 1999 meeting with European artists.
“Cinema is the art of empathy,” Pope Leo said in a pre-recorded message shared by Vatican News. “When storytelling uplifts the human soul, it serves not only art, but creation itself.”
The Vatican Meets Hollywood
According to Vatican sources, the gathering will include screenings, roundtable discussions, and private conversations between the Pope and select attendees. Topics reportedly include artificial intelligence in storytelling, ethical representation in media, and faith as a creative force.
The meeting is part of Pope Leo’s broader campaign to reconnect the Catholic Church with global culture, an initiative dubbed “Faith in Dialogue”, launched earlier this year to foster partnerships with scientists, artists, and digital innovators.
“This is a Pope who sees culture not as a threat, but as a frontier,” said Francesco Rutelli, president of the Italian Cinema Academy. “He’s inviting the people who shape the imagination of billions.”
