Leonardo DiCaprio greeted the Pope in perfect Italian.
'Your Holiness. Thank you for this private audience.'
An excited Pope asked the actor to take a seat...in English.
'Sit down, please.'
They had a longer conversation with a translator present. The actor is deeply involved in the environmental activism movement, which the Pope has become a key figure in since the publication of 'Laudato Si.'
After their conversation, DiCaprio introduced the Pope to his father. The actor gave the Pope a book with pictures from the 15th century Flemish artist Bosch. He explained what the images meant to him.
'They were hanging above my crib when I was a young boy. My father put it there and as child I didn't quite understand what it all meant. But through my childish eyes, it represents our planet, the utopia that we've been given.'
He also gave the Pope a donation for environmental causes. The Pope in return gave him two of the most important texts of his pontificate.
'This is the 'Evangelii Gaudium' and the 'Laudato Si,' about the care of Creation.'
'Thank you, thank you. Grazie.'
'And pray for me, don't forget.'
'I will. Thank you.'
As the actor was leaving, the Pope repeated his request. And DiCaprio responded, again, that he wouldn't forget.
'And pray for me, don't forget.'
'I will. Thank you.'
'God bless you.'
'God bless you'
