Martin Scorsese once met Pope Francis for the private screening of his 2016 movie ‘Silence’, a project that was supported by the papal audience.

The whole world is shocked by the tragic passing of the beloved Pope Francis. A known Catholic Church reformer, the pontiff previously spent five weeks in hospital due to pneumonia but later moved back home to the Vatican. He died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.

While we remember the legacy and teachings of the renowned pope, we also recall his unforgettable meeting with veteran director Martin Scorsese for the viewing of his 2016 epic historical drama movie, Silence.

That time, Martin Scorsese’s Silence premiered at the Vatican

Regarded as his most personal passion project, Martin Scorsese had been working on the movie since 1990, just two years after he made the controversial religious epic The Last Temptation of Christ. When asked why it took him 26 years to finish it, he revealed that as he got older, ideas came and went, but he never let go of his desire to tell the story.

Liam Neeson in Silence | Credits: Paramount Pictures
In late 2016, Scorsese and Mexican producer Gaston Pavlovich met with Pope Francis for a private Vatican screening. Set in 17th-century Japan, starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson, the movie tells the story of two Jesuit priests who traveled to Edo-period Japan to find their missing mentor and to spread Catholic Christianity.

Silence was a box-office bomb despite the fairly good reviews. However, this seemingly did not matter for Scorsese as it was revealed that the private papal audience loved and supported the movie.

The pope also received Scorsese and his family very cordially. They briefly spoke about the experience of Jesuit missionaries in Japan, and Pope Francis even gifted his guests some rosaries. The director, on the other hand, gave the pope a framed image of the Virgin of Nagasaki.

It’s worth noting that the message of the movie was close to the pope’s heart. His younger self aspired to become a missionary in Asia but never got to do so because of health issues.

Martin Scorsese wants to make another religion-focused movie
Scorsese is no stranger to making movies with religion as the subject. Some may not know that he once considered becoming a priest before he ventured into filmmaking. The Vatican has held screenings in the past, but this was the first time that a movie made its debut in the pope’s place before the global premiere.

Martin Scorsese | Credits: Criterion Collection/YouTube
In 2023, Scorsese went on a tour in Italy and met the pope again. He revealed his plans to take on a new movie project about Jesus. As per multiple reports shared by Variety, the filmmaker announced:

I have responded to the Pope’s appeal to artists in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus, and I’m about to start making it.

-Martin Scorsese
The director, along with millions of people around the world, was heartbroken by the news of the pope’s passing, and hopefully, Scorsese will push through with this movie project to honor his pledge.