Pope meets Roberto Benigni ahead of Saint Peter monologue premiere

Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV received Oscar-winning Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni on Thursday afternoon at the Apostolic Palace, together with Italian state TV CEOs and producers.

According to a note released on Telegram by the Holy See Press Office, the visit took place ahead of the Rai 1 broadcast of “Peter: A Man in the Wind,” a monologue by Benigni produced in collaboration with Vatican Media and presented earlier in the day at the MAXXI Museum in Rome.

The Pope watched several excerpts from the production and remarked, “How beautiful, it speaks about love.”

Before the screening, he and Benigni spoke about cinema, including Benigni's own Oscar-winning film Life Is Beautiful and Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, both of which the Pope has named among his four favourite films.

Their conversation extended to themes central to the monologue: the life of Saint Peter, the works of Dante and Saint Augustine, the Divine Comedy, and the Confessions.

Also attending the meeting were Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication; Stefano D’Agostini, Director of Vatican Media; and members of Benigni’s creative team.