Hollywood Celebrities Head to Vatican for Papal Event

In a move that feels more like an Oscars afterparty than a religious summit, Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, is rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood celebrities at the Vatican this weekend. The spectacle is set for November 15 and is being promoted as part of the Church’s efforts to “deepen dialogue” with the world of cinema though many faithful Catholics are left wondering when the focus shifted from Scripture to screenplays.

The guest list reads like a Hollywood awards night, with names including:

• Cate Blanchett, Oscar-winning actress

• Spike Lee, activist filmmaker

• Adam Scott, star of the dystopian series Severance

• Chris Pine, actor

• George Miller, director of Mad Max

• Gus Van Sant, Milk director

• Alison Brie, actress

• Dave Franco, actor and filmmaker

• Viggo Mortensen, known for The Lord of the Rings

• Tony Kaye, director of American History X

The Vatican’s cultural office says the gathering will explore “artistic creativity” and its potential to promote “human values.” But critics see it as yet another example of the Church’s recent flirtation with progressive trends and celebrity politics, rather than standing firm on timeless truths.

This isn’t the first time the Vatican has mingled with Hollywood. Under the late Pope Francis, the Church hosted a comedy summit in 2024 featuring late-night talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O’Brien figures not exactly known for defending religious values. Francis also recently met with Robert DeNiro and his daughter after a family tragedy.

Now Pope Leo born in Chicago and known for his affinity for Wordle and films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Life Is Beautiful seems to be continuing the trend. When Vice President JD Vance visited him earlier this year, he gifted the pontiff a custom Chicago Bears jersey with “XIV” on the back. Pope Leo’s response? “Good choice.”

While this latest celebrity event is being marketed as a cultural bridge, many traditional Catholics are uneasy. With church attendance in steep decline fewer than 20% of American Catholics now attend weekly Mass, down from over 50% in the 1970s some are asking whether entertaining the Hollywood elite is really the answer.

The question remains: does inviting filmmakers and actors into the Vatican help revive the Church’s moral authority, or is it just more smoke and mirrors? As the Church embraces pop culture, the faithful are left hoping it doesn’t lose its soul in the process.

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