Oscar-winning Italian actor, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI, Roberto Benigni paid a visit to Vatican City on Wednesday, December 7th. The talented actor brought his signature eccentric levity to the Vatican, putting on all the theatrics for Pope Francis.
Pope Francis enthusiastically greeted Roberto Benigni in a private meeting before the weekly Papal audience in St. Peter’s Square and there were laughs all around. Greeting Pope Francis with a hug, Benigni joked that the pontiff was “emanating light.” The Pope told him not to exaggerate, to which Benigni replied: “I have to exaggerate, I’m happy to be here.”
The comedian is most famous for the Oscar-winning movie, Life is Beautiful, and he met the pontiff to discuss his latest project, a new show about St. Francis of Assisi. Benigni gifted him a set of DVDs of his new show titled “Francis, the Canticle”, which is being streamed on the Paramount Plus service.