Pope Francis' "Un Muro o Un Ponte" Seminary at Paul VI Hall in Vatican City had a few familar faces in the audience – including George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal Clooney. The couple were joined by fellow Hollywood stars Salma Hayek and Richard Gere for event organized by Scholas Occurrentes, an international foundation the Pontiff inspired.
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George and Amal met with the Pope and attended a special event for the Scholas Occurrentes foundation in Vatican City Photo: Getty Images
According to the foundation's website, its mission is to achieve peace and social integration of communities, with a focus on those in need, through the linking of technology, arts and sports.
Leonardo DiCaprio meets with Pope Francis: Find out what they talked aboutAt one point, speaking from the audience with a microphone in hand, George even practiced a little bit of Italian – he and Amal were married in Venice and he famously owns a waterfront property in Lake Como – before apologizing for his skills with a laugh and switching to English for his remarks.
The couple were joined by Salma Hayek, her husband Francois-Henri Pinault and daughter Valentina Photo: Getty Images
Praising the organization's message of inclusion starting from a young age in schools, he said, "I think that is what is spectacular with what you all are doing here. My wife Amal and I are very honored to be here with all of you, so thank you."
Royals meeting the Pope: Memorable momentsEver stylish Amal wore a discreet black lace dress and structured turban-style hat for the occasion, which saw her husband honored for his charity work. George, Salma and Richard will serve as ambassadors for one of the organization's art projects.
Salma posted a photo of her daughter Valentina getting a kiss from the Pontiff Photo: Instagram/@salmahayek
Frida actress Salma expressed her thoughts about the day on Instagram, where she shared a sweet photo of Pope Francis kissing her daughter on the head. In a bilingual message written in English and Spanish, she wrote: "I can not love him more. No lo puedo amarlo más. #Pope #papa #love #family #familia #rome #roma #amor".