Pope Francis’ connection to Hollywood included meetings with Mark Wahlberg and Angelina Jolie

Over the course of his 12 years as the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, connected with many of Hollywood’s elite.

Here are some other celebrities who had the honor of crossing paths with Pope Francis.

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“Titanic” star Leonardo DiCaprio met with the Pope for a quick conversation while filming the documentary “Before the Flood” for National Geographic in 2016.

In an Instagram post shared by the actor at the time, DiCaprio can be seen showing the Pope a book which he says “was hanging above my crib as a young boy.” He later kissed his ring and left, saying in a voice-over that “being able to spend time and sit with the Pope was a profound experience.”

The two had met to discuss environmental issues, which is a passion they both shared.

George and Amal Clooney met Pope Francis in May 2016, when they attended the “Un Muro o Un Ponte,” held by the religious leader at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City.

While at the event, George was recognized for his work with the Pope’s arts foundation, Scholas Occurrentes, and was presented with the Olive Medal of Peace.

Angelina Jolie met Pope Francis in January 2015, when she was invited to a private screening of her film, “Unbroken,” held at the Vatican. 

Both Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom shared photos of the moment they met Pope Francis, as he greeted his audience at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City, who had gathered for the Unite To Cure, A Global Health Care Initiative conference, in April 2018.

“Honored to be in the presence of His Holiness @franciscus’ compassionate heart and inclusivity,” Perry captioned her Instagram photo, featuring her and Bloom shaking hands with the Pope. “Thank you to @meditationbob and #TheCuraFoundation for making it all possible.”

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Bloom posted a photo of the two of them meeting the Pope, but from the back, writing “all eyes where they should be, on the remarkable his Holiness @franciscus.”

Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, met Pope Francis in May 2016, when they attended the “Un Muro o Un Ponte” Seminary held by the Pope at the Paul VI Hall.

The actor was honored with the Olive Medal of Peace, as he had agreed to work as an ambassador for the Pope’s foundation, Scholas Occurrentes, which works towards connecting 400,000 schools from various countries.

Bono, the lead singer of the popular band U2, met Pope Francis on multiple occasions. He first met with the Pope at a private audience with him at the Vatican in September 2018, when they reportedly spoke for 30 minutes about a variety of topics.

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Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Bono said the Pope was “incredibly gracious with his time, his concentration.”

They met again in May 2022 at a meeting for the launch of the Scholas Occurrentes International Movement. 

Chris Rock met Pope Francis in June 2024, when he and 100 other comedians, including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Julia Louis Dreyfus, were invited to the Vatican by the Pope, in order to highlight the importance of comedy in society.

“You manage to make people smile even while dealing with problems and events, large and small,” the Pope said to Rock and the other comedians in attendance. “You denounce abuses of power, you give voice to forgotten situations, you point out inappropriate behavior. Remember this. When you manage to bring intelligent smiles to the lips of even a single spectator, you also make God smile.” 

Antonio Banderas was able to have a quick conversation with Pope Francis in April 2016 during one of his weekly General Audiences with his followers, which takes place in St. Peter’s Square, directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The “Desperado” star posted a photo of him shaking hands with the Pope, writing “nice chat with Pope Francis before we start filming in #Rome.”

He was most likely in Italy filming the movie “Black Butterfly,” which was released in May 2017.

During one of Pope Francis’ weekly General Audiences held in St. Peter’s Square, Arnold Schwarzenegger was lucky enough to shake hands with and chat with His Holiness.

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The actor shared a photo of their meeting, calling it a “great honor to meet” him. 

“It was my great honor to meet His Holiness @Pontifex. I am a huge fan,” he wrote in the caption. “A true leader for the Church & a steward for all of God’s creatures.”

Mark Wahlberg met Pope Francis when the leader of the Catholic Church visited the United States in 2015.

As part of his trip, he attended the Festival of Families in Philadelphia, where Wahlberg, an outspoken Catholic, acted as the master of ceremonies for the evening. 

“I was in church, a guy came to speak, and he started asking, ‘Are you a participant or are you a spectator? Do you really get involved in the community and the parish?’ And I’m like ‘Oh wow, I guess I better start doing more,'” Wahlberg said on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” in January 2017. “Literally the next week guys came up to me and said they wanted me to host the Festival of Families with the Pope, and it was terrifying.” 

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