By JOSE RAMOS, NEWS REPORTER
Published: 09:43 EST, 15 November 2025 | Updated: 09:43 EST, 15 November 2025
Pope Leo has been gifted a New York Knicks basketball jersey as he welcomed some of the biggest names in film to the Vatican.
The pontiff hosted more than 100 actors, directors and producers inside the Apostolic Palace, among them Cate Blanchett, Alison Brie, Judd Apatow and Viggo Mortensen.
Italian icons Monica Bellucci, Dario Argento and Matteo Garrone were also in attendance as the Pope greeted each guest individually.
Veteran filmmaker Spike Lee, a lifelong Knicks fan, stepped forward with a surprise for the 70-year-old pontiff: a custom Knicks shirt.
'He's the 14th Pope (Leo), so (the jersey) was number 14. And the back, it said Pope Leo,' Lee explained afterwards, noting the team's link to Villanova University, which the former Robert Prevost once attended.
Blanchett said she was struck by the Pope's message. 'His words were extraordinary and I wish cultural ministers around the world would take heed.
'He talked about compassion and leaning into the problems of the world,' she told journalists outside.
Dressed in white, Pope Leo told the gathering that 'when the magic light of cinema illuminates the darkness, it simultaneously ignites the eyes of the soul.'
Veteran filmmaker Spike Lee, a lifelong Knicks fan, stepped forward with a surprise for the 70-year-old pontiff
Italian icons Monica Bellucci, Dario Argento and Matteo Garrone were also in attendance as the Pope greeted each guest individually
The pontiff hosted more than 100 actors, directors and producers inside the Apostolic Palace, among them Cate Blanchett, Alison Brie, Judd Apatow and Viggo Mortensen
He praised filmmakers as storytellers capable of reshaping how audiences understand themselves and the world.
'One of cinema's most valuable contributions is helping audiences consider their own lives… they rediscover a portion of the hope that is essential for humanity to live to the fullest,' he said.
The Vatican said the event was aimed at exploring how cinema can support the mission of the Church and promote human values.
Earlier in the week, Pope Leo had revealed his four favourite films, It's a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People and Life Is Beautiful, each chosen for their emphasis on hope.
On Saturday, he hailed the assembled artists as 'pilgrims of the imagination' and 'narrators of hope and heralds of humanity', urging them to confront global suffering with honesty and empathy.
'Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognises and explores it. This is what all the great directors have done,' he said.
The gathering follows a similar event held by Pope Francis in 2024, when more than 100 comedians - including Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon - were invited to the Vatican.