Pope Francis enthusiastically greeted Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni at the Vatican on Wednesday morning.
Benigni, best known for his Oscar-winning film “Life is Beautiful”, met privately with the pope to tell him about his latest project, a new show about St. Francis of Assisi.
The comic, who recited a line from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy from memory on the Oscars stage in 1999, now serves as the host of the Italian program based on St. Francis’ poem The Canticle of the Sun.
The show, “Francesco Il Cantico,” is currently streaming on Paramount Plus in Italy. Benigni also gave the pope a copy of the program on DVD, according to Reuters.
Pope Francis meeting with Roberto Benigni, Dec. 7, 2022. Vatican Media
Greeting the pope with a hug, Benigni joked that the pontiff was “emanating light.”
Pope Francis told him not to exaggerate, to which the actor replied: “I have to exaggerate, I’m happy to be here.”
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Vatican City, Apr 10, 2018 / 11:18 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday papal spokesperson Greg Burke announced two new additions to Pope Francis’ May calendar: A visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome and a meeting with members of the… […]
A member of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square holds up a baby Jesus figure for a blessing by Pope Francis at his Sunday Angelus Dec. 17, 2023. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Dec 17, 2023 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis reflected on St. John the Baptist as a luminous figure who testifies to the light and teaches us that “only in God do we find the light of life” during his Angelus address Dec. 17 on the third Sunday of Advent, or Gaudete Sunday.
Observing this as the first lesson that we can learn from John the Baptist, the Holy Father told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican that the second is that “through service, consistency, humility, witness of life” we “can be a lamp that shines and helps others find the way on which to meet Jesus.”
Today’s message built upon the Holy Father’s Angelus message from the previous Sunday, where he highlighted John’s ministry as a voice that “is linked to the genuineness of his experience and the clarity of his heart.”
Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 17, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Expanding on this observation, the pontiff noted that John’s mission is characterized by his “frank language” and is underscored by his “sincere behavior, his austerity of life.” Thus it is through his example that the Holy Father suggested we look to John the Baptist as a figure who “motivate[s] us to rise above mediocrity and to be in turn models of good living for others.”
Expanding upon this point, the pope noted that we can see John as a “luminous” figure not only because he is “upright, free, and courageous” but because he submitted himself to God’s will, to carry out a mission to pronounce the light that is “Jesus, the Lamb of God” who “redeems, frees, heals, and enlightens.”
To that end, the luminosity of John is not self-aggrandizing, but instead he is at the service of others, a voice “who accompanies his brothers and sisters to the Word; he serves without seeking honors or the spotlight.” In this way the pope encouraged the faithful to look at John as a counterpoint to “other famous and powerful people” who “invested a lot in appearances.”
Drawing a connection between the biblical context and today, the pope noted that “in every age the Lord sends men and women like this,” but he asked the faithful: “Do we know how to recognize them? Do we try to learn from their witness, allowing ourselves to be challenged? Or rather, do we allow ourselves to be bedazzled by fashionable people?”
Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Angelus message on Dec. 17, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Following the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father noted that on Saturday, Dec. 16, Argentine Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio was beatified. The pope described Pironio as a “humble and zealous pastor, witness of hope, defender of the poor” who “collaborated with St. John Paul II in the promotion of the laity and in the World Youth Days.”
“May his example help us to be an outgoing Church, which becomes a traveling companion for everyone, especially the weakest,” the pope added.
The Mass of beatification was presided over by the 78-year-old Spanish Cardinal Vérgez Alzaga at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Luján in Argentina, where Pironio is buried.
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza,” the pope lamented. “Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings. And this even happened inside the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists but families, children, sick and disabled people, nuns.”
“Someone says, ‘It’s terrorism, it’s war.’ Yes, it’s war, it’s terrorism. This is why Scripture states that ‘God stops wars … breaks bows and breaks spears,’” the pope said. “Let us pray to the Lord for peace.”
Pope Francis had a belated birthday celebration on Dec. 19 with children helped by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary / Veronica Giacometti/CNA
Vatican City, Dec 19, 2021 / 07:42 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Sunday joined a belated celebration of his 85th birthday, thrown by the children and families helped by the Vatican’s charitable pediatric clinic.
During the Dec. 19 party, Pope Francis was entertained by songs and skits from the kids, and everyone was treated to a piece of a giant birthday cake.
Pope Francis turned 85 years old on Dec. 17.
Pope Francis had a belated birthday celebration on Dec. 19 with children helped by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary. Vatican Media
For almost 100 years, the Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary has been providing free medical care to children from all over the world.
The annual event with Pope Francis was skipped last year due to the pandemic, but the 2021 party included a new attraction: A Christmas Village complete with Santa Claus and elves.
The Christmas Village was set up inside and outside the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. Children were able to have their photo taken with Santa Claus and each got a Christmas box filled with pizza, muffins, and chocolate.
Part of the Christmas Village at Pope Francis’ belated birthday celebration on Dec. 19 with children helped by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary. Veronica Giacometti/CNA
During the visit, Pope Francis greeted the kids and spoke to them about what it means to love other people.
“Love for others means that we must look at and listen to the people’s needs,” he said. “There are always people who need us, but if we don’t look them in the face we will never understand…”
“If I go down the street and I see that someone is cold and hungry, even if he is bad, I help him,” the pope said. “Always help each other. Today we are all here because we are friends.”
Pope Francis had a belated birthday celebration on Dec. 19 with children helped by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary. Veronica Giacometti/CNA
Pope Francis was surrounded by red balloons and the Happy Birthday song was playing in Spanish when he was presented with a large box containing a birthday cake.
St. Francis of Assisi – Pray for us.