Leonardo DiCaprio met Pope Francis today. Is it just me or is Pope Francis a lot more celebrity-friendly than previous popes? Around this time last year, Angelina Jolie brought Unbroken to the Vatican and they did a holy-see screening. This year, it was The Revenant… except not. Unbroken actually got a Vatican screening, but The Revenant did not. I imagine the bear-rape and woodland boy drama was not going to be the Pope’s particular cup of tea, although the Vatican’s in-house critic did hate Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so you never know.
According to multiple sources, Leo and Francis met for about 15 minutes total. It’s believed that they spoke mostly about climate change – Leo’s a long-time environmental activist and Pope Francis has been called “the Green Pope” for his emphasis on climate change and protecting the earth. Also interesting: Leo cut a check to the Pope!!
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio greeted Pope Francis at the Vatican Thursday, discussed their shared concern over the environment and gave the pontiff a check from his charitable foundation.
“Your Holiness, thank you for granting me this private audience with you,” DiCaprio said in Italian as he arrived in the Apostolic Palace and kissed the pope’s ring.
Later, in English, DiCaprio offered Francis a book of works by the 15th-century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, and showed him the reproduction of Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” that had hung over his crib as a child. The triptych, which DiCaprio has referred to in the past, depicts Adam and Eve in the first panel, a teeming landscape in the center panel, and finally a vision of hell.
“As a child I didn’t quite understand what it all meant, but through my child’s eyes it represented a planet, the utopia we had been given, the overpopulation, excesses, and the third panel we see a blackened sky that represents so much to me of what’s going in in the environment,” DiCaprio told the pope.
An assistant then handed Francis an envelope and explained it was a check from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation for the pope to use for charity works “close to your heart.”
Francis gave DiCaprio a leather-bound copy of Laudato Si and his earlier document, The Joy of the Gospel.
I kind of wonder if the check was the reason why Leo got an audience with the Pope in the first place. I’m not saying there’s Pope Payola going on, but the Pope is probably more willing to meet with certain people if they do make a “contribution” to one of his charities. And I would have loved to hear Leo speak in Italian to the Pope. I wonder if Leo asked Francis to pray for Oscar Gold?
Leonardo DiCaprio visits Pope today in Vatican. pic.twitter.com/oVtvvjkxHS
— Zenit English (@zenitenglish) January 28, 2016
Leonardo DiCaprio meets pope, paparazzi on the prowl: https://t.co/oawrvx4bI4 pic.twitter.com/l3T1aHt5TS
— Reuters Showbiz (@ReutersShowbiz) January 28, 2016
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
He is so desperate for that Oscar he just paid the Pope in hopes god would take note. Just GIVE him the freakin thing already and make him go away. He has a yacht to captain, after all.
I bet priests would pay to hear his confession. That said this is such a joke. How does Leo meeting the pope help the environment in any way.
you’re kidding right? please just stop
That painting he talked about sounds cool
Umm Angelina Jolie met the Pope to for Unbroken’s Oscar campaign but nobody here called her out for it. Why is Leo considered desperate but not Jolie? ( Whose Oscar campaign was way over the top compared to Leo’s?)
And The pope did not actually stay for Unbroken’s screening.
Atleast Leo is a nominee.
yes, i don´t understand it. Angie gets away with everything here.
I remember her over the top promo tour for Unbroken which featured only HER. She made a big fuss about meeting the Pope and it was all about HER. Her very own production of Saint meets Pope. The actors of HER movie had to stay at home.
Leo buying a banana is a sign of his desperation to be seen as one of the plebs, and hence his desperation to get that Oscar.
Leo leaving one shoelace untied is also the same thing – more desperation.
Yesterday, Leo was seen sipping coffee at Starbucks. Could he be more desperate?
Oh, yes, and leaving his hotel last night, he momentarily glanced at the doorman and gave the mildest possible smile. Before his desperate Oscar campaign, he’d never have smiled at the guy.
And I’ve noticed he parts his hair differently these days. And his fingernails are longer for some reason. Pure desperation.
Desperate, desperate, desperate.
“A blackened sky that represents so much to me of what’s going in in the environment,” DiCaprio told the pope. Then Leo got on he’s privet jet…
He Needs to fly his ass to Flint. There’s a cause for you, Leo. Get your head out of your ass.
He will probably bring the pope as a date to the Oscars as a lucky charm.Just give him that Oscar damn it!
And now, the Pope’s life is complete
Please, please don’t win! It would be too funny.
He’s so arrogant, this campaigning is just too much, it’s ridiculous.
I can’t comprehend the mindset of a nominee for any award virtually whoring themselves out there with the “Look at Me!” PR campaigns. If I was nominated, no way in hell would I be goin’ down the BS path re recognition.
You’re so right! I really can’t stand Leonardi DiCaprio, and it would give me life to see his sad baby face if someone else…anyone else…is named best actor. <3 <3 Although with all the BS being perpetrated by the academy, maybe he should win, and I hope after he wins he realizes how meaningless he really is. **witch's cackle**
His father’s Italian. I think the meeting with the Pope has some personal significance beyond the environmental stuff.
Networking.
The world is actually a very small place when you (if) you can use networking wisely.
Ah, yes, just what corrupt Vatican Inc. needs…more money. I wonder if they take VISA and American Express, too?
Keep doing good! I don’t care what the hidden agendas are, keep informing the world of issues , doesn’t make it any less REAL or FACTUAL. No one is PERFECT, I remember when AL GORE brought this issue to light, there were a lot of stories about his infidelity, the way he travels etc, he is no longer as public but for me, he represented a HUGE reason I started understanding the severity of the issue. And now Leo is stepping into the limelight more. So he wants an Oscar? it’s not like he didn’t work hard, so he met the Pope? at this point which A lister hasn’t? and he is there to discuss climate change and donate a check to a charity? very suspect and desperate (sarcasm). I personally don’t care if he takes a private jet ( I would hope he didn’t) but I do a lot of things that aren’t exactly in the best interest of the planet but doesn’t mean I don’t care or shouldn’t teach my kids.
Belle, your post made me rethink my whole stance on Leo. You’ve given me lots of food for thought & I appreciate your insight.
I agree. If someone like Leanne Rimes, Kim K, or Ben Affleck had pulled a stunt like this, it’d be a stunt but they’re not nominated so no one would say a thing. But now, even the way Leo walks and the colour of his shirt is definitely linked to his pure desperation for an Oscar.
I feel like I’m the only person who hasn’t met the Pope.
GNAT I’m meeting him next week. Wasn’t really interested but when in Rome…… Ok that’s an offical dad joke 😁
Ha!
Was this papal visit scheduled to remove attention from the fact that Leo and Toby Maguire’s controversial movie “Don’s Plumb” has disappeared from the interwebs again? Hint: rhetorical question.
Did I just read that Leo had Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights painting hung over his crib??? Oh my god. That explains so many of his issues. That painting is, um…. dramatic. And twisted. Very twisted. It’s not something that is appropriate to have over your kid’s bed. Holy crap.
Anyway, ugh. Leo is a hypocrite when it comes to the environment. And the pope is a hypocrite when it comes to actual morality. So, I guess this meeting of these two do-nothing but get-all-the-spoils-of-the-world men makes sense.
Man, Leo is just taking the whole “buying an Oscar” element of the campaigns to new heights, isn’t he.
The revenent was brilliant and he’s looking gorgeous again lately. I love him as an actor but the environmental hypocrisy is a bit grating.
Yup exactly my thoughts!
It would be incredible if he and other celebrities did go to flint and give support there.
Okay, everybody seriously should go have a hard look at Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Zoom in on the details. Because like all Bosch paintings it is bizarre and heavily symbolic and contains many nude people with things stuck up their butts.
I guess hanging stuff like that over babies’ cribs is how you get actors.
This makes me so mad. He has repeatedly rebuffed his country’s new President but meets with an actor and accepts his check.
I can’t believe a Peronista is Pope, I’m so glad I’m atheist.
Leo brought the hotness. I didn’t even know he had it.
Probably nobody is going to read this bc this post is from yesterday, but I’ll just leave it here…
It’s understandable that nominated films will use the media attention to promote the film and actors if they are also nominated, it would be stupid not too, they want their films to be seen, that’s the point. So working with the media is natural and predictable…. But there’s a line that when crossed makes it look tasteless, tacky and desperate. And if this strategy works then it’s natural to wonder if the Oscars (other awards too) are really more about a popularity contest than about celebrating the best of what is being done in cinema. This becomes a problem because these awards are just losing credibility which is a disservice to the cinema itself. If we are talking about changing the academy for the better this also has to be addressed. Films without a PR machine behind them just can’t compete with someone like Dicaprio who I really hope loses his Oscar. Maybe people will start to wonder if the industry and the academy really gains something with the cynicism that nowadays permeates awards season. *rant over*
Leo looks good.
When I first read about this, I misunderstood and thought he was talking about HIS child’s eye. like… he has a child.
This just seems like such a random thing for Leo to do. Unless it’s for the Oscars. Just give him the trophy. I feel like his body of work really does deserve one already.