ISTANBUL

Pope Leo on Saturday met Hollywood actors, filmmakers, directors, and scriptwriters for a special audience to celebrate cinema, saying it "is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion."

Key figures from Hollywood including Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, and Viggo Mortensen were welcomed at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

The pontiff described cinema as “a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all.”

He said that it helps audiences consider their own lives and look at the "complexity of their experiences with new eyes" while examining the world "as if for the first time."

The pope said theaters and cinemas are “the beating hearts of our communities because they contribute to making them more human.”

"I find comfort in the thought that cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion!" he said, adding that "cinema is a workshop of hope, a place where people can once again find themselves and their purpose."

American actress Blanchett gave the pope a bracelet and American filmmaker Lee gave him a personalized basketball jersey of the New York Knicks.