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Martin Scorsese has had a private audience with Pope Francis, ahead of making his new screenplay about Jesus, which is expected to begin filming later this year.
The renowned director, 81, met with the Pope on Wednesday after Scorsese attended his weekly ‘general audience’, which allows the public an opportunity to see and pray with the Pope.
The 81-year-old who has been a Catholic his whole life despite describing himself as not a ‘regular church-goer’ said in December 2023: ‘After many years of thinking about other things, dabbling here and there, I am most comfortable as a Catholic. I believe in the tenets of Catholicism.’
His upcoming film will be an adaption of the book ‘A Life of Jesus’ by Shūsaku Endō written in 1966 and will be much shorter than his other films, with a running time of around 80 minutes.
It will be set in the present day, to make it ‘timeless’ and will examine ‘Jesus’ core teachings in a way that explores the principles but doesn’t proselytize’.
‘I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion,’ he said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
The renowned director, 81, met with the Pope on Wednesday in a private meeting, although it is not yet clear what the pair discussed, Scorsese does have a new film about Jesus that will begin filming this year
Scorsese’s new film, which is currently unnamed, will be an adaption of the book ‘A Life of Jesus’ by Shūsaku Endō written in 1966
Director Martin Scorsese (centre), with his daughter Francesca (left) and actress Lily Gladstone, as he attends Pope Francis’ weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on Jan 31, 2024
Martin Scorsese, 81, has been a Catholic his whole life despite describing himself as not a ‘regular church-goer’
Mr Scorsese first spoke of his new project last May when he attended the ‘The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination’ at the Vatican, which gathered around 40 filmmakers, writers and poets who have seen Catholicism as integral to their work.
At the event Scorsese said: ‘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.’
Shūsaku Endō was also the author of Silence a book that was adapted into a film by Scorsese in 2016, which followed the story of two Portuguese Jesuit missionaries, played by Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, who must contend with various forms of persecution as they travel through 17th-century Japan to proselytize locals and track down their mentor, played by Liam Neeson.
The film was screened in a special viewing at the Vatican as Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope.
Jan 31, 2024: Pope Francis receives Martin Scorsese, The Vatican, Rome in a private capacity
May 27, 2023: Pope Francis met with Scorsese during a conference promoted by La Civilta Cattolica and Georgetown University at the Vatican
October 23, 2018: Martin Scorsese kisses Pope Francis’ hand as they participate in the presentation of the new book ‘Sharing The Wisdom of Time’ about the pontiff’s discussion with young people in Rome, Italy
November 30, 2016: Pope Francis Scorsese during a private audience at the Vatican
The filmmaker was also joined by the Pope for the launch of the book Sharing The Wisdom Of Time in 2018, where he stooped to his the hand of the leader of the Catholic Church.
Scorsese spoke with La Civiltà Cattolica at the same time, about the movie and his own religious beliefs.
‘Well, I’m interested in how people perceive God, or, I should say, how they perceive the world of the intangible,’ he explained.
‘After many years of thinking about other things, dabbling here and there, I am most comfortable as a Catholic. I believe in the tenets of Catholicism. I’m not a doctor of the church. I’m not a theologian who could argue the Trinity. I’m certainly not interested in the politics of the institution.
‘But the idea of the Resurrection, the idea of the Incarnation, the powerful message of compassion and love — that’s the key.’
Scorsese was raised as a Catholic and attended a Catholic school as a children.
However his religious films have not been without controversy, in 1988 Scorsese adapted the book ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’.
Which depicted Jesus with both a sexual desire and allowed him to think about the possibility of going against his true calling; dying for our sins.
The production was met with strong opposition globally, leading to it being axed by Paramount and after the film was picked back up again by Universal, the evangelist and producer Bill Bright offered to buy the film’s negative from Universal in order to burn it.
Private audiences with the Pope are usually strictly reserved for heads of state, government leaders, new Vatican ambassadors to the Holy See or groups of bishops in an ad limina visit.
Although every Wednesday morning the Pope is seen by worshippers at a general audience.
However private meeting with celebrities are not unheard of, in November he met with Brendan Rodger and his Celtic players after their 2-0 defeat at Lazio.
The Vatican has been approached for comment.
