Pope Francis Meets with Celebrities at the Vatican and He is Called the "Coolest Pope" by Singer J Balvin

Pope Francis met with international film, media and music celebrities at the first “Vitae Summit” in the Vatican. He reminded artists that they should use beauty to preach the Gospel.  

September 1st was the final day of a two-day meeting in the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV. The goal was to open the conversation on how to use the arts to foster a culture of hope and unity. 

Guests included actress Patricia Heaton, Jonathan Roumie, from the “The Chosen,” actor David Oyelowo and Mexican actor Eduardo Verástegui, as well as singers Alexander Acha and J Balvin and many others. J Balvin says he became friends with the pope and "For me, this is the coolest pope there has been since I was born."

 The “Vitae Summit”, organized by the Vitae Global Foundation, was animated by a host of celebrities of the arts, media and entertainment industries gathered to discuss their role in triggering a cultural transformation that promotes the common good, universal values and a culture of encounter. Pope Francis joined participants at the end of the summit and encouraged them to be “preachers of beauty”, because he said, “Beauty is good for us; beauty heals; beauty helps us go forward on our journey.” A Holy See Press Office communiqué explained that during their conversation, the Pope and saw the need to reach out to young people, communicate the message of the Gospel, and share stories of witness and accompaniment that are rooted in an encounter with God. 

 The Pope, the statement said, pointed to the need to undertake paths of communication that lead to truth, goodness and, particularly for artists, beauty and the path of contemplation. “A person on a journey is on a quest,” the Pope said, noting that art can provide inspiration for those who undertake a journey in the awareness that the Lord is awaiting us. The Pope also expressed his hope that “art may open doors, touch hearts and help people to go forward”, and he spoke of the need for an ethical conscience for artists. Art, he said, must stimulate “respect for people” and encourage them “to go forward rather than to buy.” “The role of art,” he said, “is to put 'a thorn in the heart, which moves us to contemplation, and contemplation puts us on a path."

Edited from Vatican News and Rome reports