Pope Leo XIV, the first American bishop of Rome, is reinventing the Catholic Church’s relationship to the arts. He is bringing goes to pop culture in invigorating, new ways. His recent initiatives are a testament to his commitment to cultural leadership. They advocate for more inclusive ways of making art, a statement that represents a sea change from the insular artistic priorities expressed by his forebears.
In his recent address, Pope Leo XIV challenged the media to change the narrative around the Church and Christian life. He called on all of us to look “beyond stereotypes and clichés.” This view expresses his intent to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of faith, art, and identity in today’s world.
Pope Leo XIV’s position differs from that of his papal predecessors. Rather than rejecting widely successful works such as The Da Vinci Code and Madonna’s Like A Prayer, he opts for a more inclusive, participatory stance. He convened Hollywood luminaries such as Spike Lee, Darren Aronofsky, Cate Blanchett, and Greta Gerwig in the Vatican. As a group, they explored healthy, creative dialogue with their art and expression of faith. This hands-on engagement deepens his love for art and arts-making. It re-establishes the Church’s connection to contemporary artistic expression.
Pope Leo XIV in stunning red on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He donned the old-style red mozzetta cape — talk about a showstopper! His wardrobe is a bold statement of culture meeting cool, old blending with the new. This combination strikes a powerful chord with most of his supporters. Real as it might sound, the pope’s actual favorite films are probably less eclectic than you think. Particularly classics, like The Sound of Music and Ordinary People, showing his profound respect for the art of storytelling through film.
In addition to his artistic inclinations, Pope Leo XIV serves as the editor of The Long Wave newsletter and is the author of Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain. His works display a deep care for social realities, including empathy toward migrants and peripheral communities. Reports suggest that he has “patent anti-Maga leanings,” marking a progressive direction in the Catholic Church’s leadership.
His motivation to work with Hollywood comes from an understanding that art can provoke conversations that break through traditional storylines. To prepare for a possible papal sequestering, he even viewed the papal thriller Conclave, signaling his hipness to the culture of today.
Pope Leo XIV is not without his worries for the technological undermining of the spiritual realm. In his first interview as pope, he stated, “It’s going to be very difficult to discover the presence of God in AI.” This declaration highlights his fear for the ways artificial intelligence could be used to impact spiritual experience.
Jason Okundaye, writing for The Guardian, remarked on the potential of art in contrast to technology: “The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what ‘works’, but art opens up what is possible. Not everything has to be immediate or predictable.” This outlook aligns with Pope Leo XIV’s prophetic dream. He envisioned a Church that fearlessly steps into the new creation and the dynamism that comes with all of creation’s new developments.
Pope Leo XIV is bringing a renaissance to the Catholic Church. As his new book, !Tweeting, suggests, he is advocating for freer, bolder engagement with cultural narratives and artistic expressions. His leadership can radically change our understanding of faith. Yet it is what can connect the past and future in a world that seems to become more complicated by the day.