Pope Leo XIV Reveals His Four Favorite Films of All Time

On May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church. Since then, there have been millions of people who've been very interested in what the religious leader has had to say about a myriad of different topics.

Since there is no debate that the Pope is always an extremely important figure, it is always fascinating to learn more about whoever holds that position. Fortunately for anyone interested in learning about the current person who holds that important position, Pope Leo XIV recently revealed an interesting fact about himself; what his favorite films are.

Pope Leo XIV’s Four Favorite Films Are All Celebrated Classics

In November 2025, the Vatican released a short video of Pope Leo XIV revealing what his four favorite films of all time are. The TikTok page for Variety later posted that footage. which revealed that the religious leader loves four films that have gone down in Hollywood history. It is important to note that, based on the video, it appears that the four mentioned films were listed in chronological order, instead of being ranked.

The first film mentioned by the Pope is widely regarded as one of the best Christmas movies ever made, 1946's It's a Wonderful Life. A film that was directed and co-written by Frank Capra and starred Jimmy Stewart, the American Film Institute named It's A Wonderful Life the 11th best American movie in 1998.

Next, the Pope named arguably the greatest movie musical that was ever produced, 1965's The Sound of Music. The film, which won five Academy Awards and a slew of other trophies, starred one of the most beloved actors in film history, Julie Andrews.

From there, the Pope's choices for his favorite films of all time took a more challenging and emotional turn when he named 1980's Ordinary People. A film focused on a wealthy family whose bonds are being ravaged by the pressures of grief, Ordinary People is remembered for spectacular performances and a highly emotional plot.

Finally, the Pope named Roberto Benignis La Vita E Bella a film that is also known as Life Is Beautiful. The movie focuses on a father who is sent to a concentration camp with his son during World War II. As sad and terrifying as that situation is to even consider, the inspiring movie shows the father use his ingenuity, heart, humor, and bravery to shield his son from the horrors that surround them.

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Pope Leo XIV Is Engaging With Hollywood in Another Interesting Way

On November 11, 2025, the New York Times published an article that revealed that Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with several famous actors in the coming days. According to the outlet, the Pope will be holding an audience with actors like Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, and Monica Bellucci on November 15, 2025. On top of meeting with movie stars, the religious leader's upcoming event is expected to be attended by the directors Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Gus Van Sant.

The same article quoted a statement released by the Vatican explaining the motivation behind the upcoming event. “In this Jubilee Year, Pope Leo XIV has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema, and in particular with actors and directors, exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.”