POPE LEO XIV MEETS HOLLYWOOD ELITE, CALLS CINEMA VEHICLE FOR SPIRITUAL LONGING
Pope Leo XIV welcomed dozens of Hollywood filmmakers, actors, and directors to the Apostolic Palace on November 15, 2025, for a special Vatican audience celebrating cinema. Attendees included Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett, director Spike Lee, Greta Gerwig, Chris Pine, Monica Bellucci, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, and other luminaries.
Pope Leo told the gathering that cinema is far more than entertainment, calling it a vehicle capable of expressing humanity's deepest spiritual search and its longing for the infinite. He described filmmakers as "pilgrims of the imagination, seekers of meaning, narrators of hope and heralds of humanity."
The Pope stated, "When cinema is authentic, 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." He encouraged filmmakers to use their art to include marginal voices, calling film "a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all."
Quoting Pope Paul VI's words to artists, "If you are friends of genuine art, you are our friends. This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair,"
Pope Leo said he wished "to renew this friendship because cinema is a workshop of hope, a place where people can once again find themselves and their purpose."
The Pope emphasized that filmmaking is "a communal effort, a collective endeavor in which no one is self sufficient," involving contributions of countless professionals. He stated, "Every voice, every gesture and every skill contributes to a work that can only exist as a whole."
Pope Leo encouraged filmmakers not to shy away from difficult subjects, urging them to "confront the world's wounds: violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction."
Ahead of the audience, the Vatican released a list of Pope Leo's favorite films: "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "Ordinary People" (1980), and "Life is Beautiful" (1997).
Spike Lee presented the first American pope with a personalized New York Knicks jersey featuring "Pope Leo" and the number 14, referencing the Pope's connection to Villanova University and three Knicks players from that school.
Cate Blanchett gifted the Pope a blue bracelet she wears in solidarity with displaced people through her work with UNHCR as a Goodwill Ambassador. She recently launched the Displacement Film Fund.
Blanchett told Vatican News the Pope's comments were inspiring because he understood cinema's crucial role in transcending borders and exploring difficult subjects. "Filmmaking is about entertainment, but it's about including voices that are often marginalized and not shy away from the pain and complexity that we're all living through right now," she said.
The Pope also lamented the "troubling decline" of cinemas being removed from cities, urging institutions "not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity."
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
The Pope invited Hollywood to the Vatican and praised their work as expressing humanity's longing for the infinite.
Hollywood. The industry that mocks Christianity, celebrates abortion, promotes sexual immorality, and produces films like "The Carpenter's Son" turning Jesus' youth into R rated horror.
Pope Leo calls them "heralds of humanity" and "narrators of hope." He quotes Paul VI about needing beauty to avoid despair while Hollywood churns out moral sewage.
The disconnect is staggering. The Pope encourages filmmakers not to shy away from "violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction" while ignoring that Hollywood glorifies violence, romanticizes addiction, and actively works to undermine Christian values.
Cate Blanchett talks about including "marginalized voices" and not shying away from "pain and complexity." What she means: more progressive propaganda and fewer Christian perspectives.
The Catholic Church should be calling Hollywood to repentance, not celebrating them as artists expressing spiritual longing.
Cinema can be redemptive. But current Hollywood is not. They need the Gospel, not papal endorsements.
TAKE ACTION
1. Support faithful Christian filmmaking: Donate to Angel Studios at www.angel.com, producers of "The Chosen" and "Sound of Freedom," instead of Hollywood's agenda driven content.
2. Demand better from the Vatican: Contact the Vatican Press Office expressing concern about celebrating an industry actively hostile to Christian values at [email protected].
3. Vote with your wallet: Boycott films and studios that mock Christianity. Support only productions that honor biblical values and truth.
4. Create alternative media: Support independent Christian filmmakers and content creators building alternatives to Hollywood's moral decay.
