The Vatican welcomed an unexpected mix of Hollywood and holiness this week when Pope Leo XIV hosted more than 100 actors, directors, and producers inside the Apostolic Palace - and even left with a custom New York Knicks jersey.
The 70-year-old pontiff's private audience included a star-studded guest list, with Cate Blanchett,Alison Brie, Judd Apatow, and Viggo Mortensen among those in attendance. Italian film legends Monica Bellucci, Dario Argento, and Matteo Garrone also joined the event, where the Pope personally greeted each visitor.
Spike Lee just gave the Pope a Knicks jersey at the Vatican pic.twitter.com/kjse2k4fB2
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 15, 2025
Spike Lee, a lifelong Knicks fan, surprised the Pope with a personalized basketball jersey bearing the number 14 - a nod to Pope Leo being the 14th to hold the name - and "Pope Leo" printed across the back. Per Daily Mail, Lee noted the connection between the team and Villanova University, where the former Cardinal Robert Prevost once studied.
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Blanchett described the Pope's words as moving and deeply relevant. "His words were extraordinary and I wish cultural ministers around the world would take heed," she told reporters after the meeting, per the outlet. "He talked about compassion and leaning into the problems of the world."
Pope Leo reflected on cinema's power to illuminate and inspire. "When the magic light of cinema illuminates the darkness, it simultaneously ignites the eyes of the soul," he said. The pontiff praised filmmakers as "narrators of hope and heralds of humanity," urging them to use storytelling to confront global suffering and reveal empathy through art.
Earlier this week, Pope Leo also gave film fans a glimpse into his personal taste in cinema - and his selections are quite surprising. In an interview with Variety, the Pope named his four favorite movies: It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Sound of Music (1965), Ordinary People (1980), and La Vita è Bella (Life Is Beautiful, 1997). While the first three are timeless classics known for their uplifting themes, many were surprised by his inclusion of Ordinary People, a drama about grief, guilt, and healing after loss.
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