Al Pacino has become the first major entertainment figure to be officially received by Pope Leo XIV, following a private audience held Monday morning at the Vatican.
The 85-year-old actor, currently in Italy filming Maserati: The Brothers, was accompanied by producer Andrea Iervolino. The film, still in production, features Pacino as Vincenzo Vaccaro, one of the earliest investors in the iconic Italian car brand. The cast also includes Anthony Hopkins, Andy Garcia and Jessica Alba.
“We are honoured to announce that this morning His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in a private audience at the Holy See a delegation from the film Maserati: The Brothers, including Oscar winner actor Al Pacino and the film’s producer Andrea Iervolino,” read a statement released by the production team on Monday.
“The meeting was a moment of profound spiritual and cultural inspiration, centred around shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic church and the film: family unity, love, compassion and the importance of contributing to the common good.”
The statement went on to highlight that “these values, which Pope Leo XIV has consistently emphasised in his recent messages to the world, resonate deeply with the story of the Maserati brothers: a family whose legacy was built not only on innovation and excellence but on profound mutual respect, solidarity and a shared vision,” Iervolino added.
A photograph published by Variety captured a moment from the meeting in which Iervolino presents the pontiff with a model Maserati encased in glass, as Pacino looks on silently.
The film is expected to trace the history and inner dynamics of the Maserati family, with particular attention to the personal bonds behind the engineering success.
