Pope says cinema is a force that puts hope into action

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV told a large gathering of actors, directors, filmmakers, and scriptwriters at the Vatican that cinema is far more than entertainment, calling it a powerful art that inspires hope and helps people understand life more deeply.

Meeting members of the World of Cinema inside the Apostolic Palace, Pope reflected on the long journey of film since the first public screening in 1895. He said movies have grown into a meaningful form of storytelling that reveals both the greatness and the fragility of human life.

Pope described cinema as a “popular art” that reaches everyone and helps viewers look at their own experiences with fresh eyes. This ability to help people think, question, and rediscover hope, he said, is one of film’s greatest contributions to society.

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