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With the papal conclave meeting last week, Stephen Colbert brought in an expert on the subject who also happens to be a classic Saturday Night Live character. Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) graced the Ed Sullivan Theater on The Late Show last week, delivering his traditionally offbeat predictions, none of which actually came to pass. Colbert is a famously devout Catholic, but he clearly doesn't have any problem poking a little fun at the church.

The chain-smoking Sarducci came out looking for an ashtray: although Colbert insisted that he couldn't smoke on network television, Sarducci told him that current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had decreed that menthols were okay, and also good for polio. He also offered his opinions on the movie Conclave: he wishes it was animated, because if the cardinals had moved like Sonic the Hedgehog, it would have been half an hour shorter.

Catholics have a new pope, and for the first time in the church’s history, it’s an American. It took the College of Cardinals only two days to elect U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost as the successor to Pope Francis. Prevost — who has taken the name Leo Xiv — was by no means a frontrunner for the papacy, and as the world scrambles to learn about the new pontiff, it’s clear he harbors at least one very American habit: posting.

Prevost appears to have been an active user of Twitter,...

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On the second day of the conclave following the death of Pope Francis, white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating that the 133 cardinals inside had elected a new pope.

Now, the identity of the new leader of the Catholic Church has been revealed. And for the first time in history, the pope is American by birth.

In keeping with tradition, the senior cardinal deacon — French prelate Dominique Mamberti currently holds the title — made the announcement in Latin from St. Peter’s Balcony.

Pope Leo Xiv addresses the crowd from St. Peter’s Balcony. (YouTube)

“Habemus Papam,” Mamberti began, Latin for “we have a pope.”

He then announced that Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost has been selected for the highest office in the Roman Catholic Church.

What do we know about Robert Prevost, Pope Leo Xiv

Born in 1955 to Mildred Martines and Louis Marius...

White smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel today signaled that a conclave of cardinals selected a new pope: Robert Prevost of the United States. He is the first American pope in history and will go by Leo Xiv. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France made the announcement.

Prevost, 69, comes from Chicago. CNN reports that Prevost did missionary work in Peru and led a Vatican office for vetting bishops. He was the bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023; notably, he added three women to the voting bloc for bishops. His election is remarkable,...

(Updated with more details) Cardinal Robert Prevost of Peru is the new Pope.

“Habemus Papam,” said Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announcing the elevation of the 69-year-old American-born cardinal from the South American nation.

More than 50,000 people in a packed St. Peter’s Square cheered as Pope Leo XIV emerged on the balcony about an hour after the white smoke was seen coming from the Sistine Chapel. “Peace be with you,” the new Pope proclaimed in his first public words as Holy Father. “Help us and all who build bridges,” the moderate

will be the 267th Bishop of Rome in a line stretching from St. Peter to today. While it will likely never be known how many votes from the 133-strong College of Cardinals xxxx received, a successful appointment of a new Pontiff requires a two-thirds majority – so he obviously garnered over 89 votes from his peers from around the globe.

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Julius Avery's goofy-ass demonic thriller "The Pope's Exorcist" was released in April of 2023, but I think it knows in its heart that it's a January movie. "The Pope's Exorcist" is about Father Gabriele Amorth, a real-life priest who worked as a specialized exorcist for the Diocese of Rome, the district that the Pope himself oversees. Amorth was one of the founding members of the International Association of Exorcists, a very real enclave of some 900 priests who specialize in demonic possession. Amorth wrote two memoirs based on his experiences as an exorcist ("An Exorcist Tells His Story" and "An Exorcist: More Stories"), and the writers of "The Pope's Exorcist" extrapolated them into a very, very loose film adaptation. 

Russell Crowe, trying on a very thick Italian accent, plays Amorth, and the film details a specific demonic possession he encountered in...

Following Pope Francis' death, several religious films entered the charts. One of them was the biographical drama The Two Popes.

The Netflix original movie premiered at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival on Aug. 31. The movie is predominantly set in Vatican City following the Vatican leaks scandal and follows Pope Benedict XVI's attempts to convince Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the late Pope Francis, to reconsider his decision to resign as he was considering abdicating. Following Pope Francis' death on Easter Monday,The Two Popes became a success again on Netflix, per Tudum.

For the week between Apr. 21 and 27, The Two Popes entered the charts and was in seventh place globally. The movie received 3.2 million views and had 6.8 million hours viewed. The biographical drama was in the Top 10 in 27 countries across Central and South America and Europe. According to Netflix,The Two Popes saw viewing increase by more than 30 times.

The Two Popes...

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 503 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025 Netflix’s week of April 21st had some fascinating changes in the streaming scene, with well-known faves bidding farewell and new releases creating a significant splash. Goodbye, Joe Goldberg: It seems everyone was ready to bid adieu (for now?) to the captivatingly creepy Joe Goldberg. The final season of You landed at the No. 1 spot on the English TV list with a strong 10.1 million views. The obsession is real, with the show amassing over half a billion views across its five seasons! This farewell even spurred a nostalgic rewatch, with Season 1 re-entering the Top 10 for the first time in over a year. It’s the kind of goodbye that feels more like “see you later,” isn’t it? Havoc Wreaks Havoc: Over on the English film list, Havoc stormed in at No. 1 with a massive 29.8 million views.

Pope Francis died on April 21, one day before Conclave came to Amazon Prime Video (and a few weeks after it left Peacock). But there was another pope-themed film available for streaming subscribers — and it took off on Netflix.

The Two Popes, a 2019 Oscar-winning film about the relationship between Francis (Jonathan Pryce) and his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), returned to Netflix’s top 10. Its viewership increased by more than 30x the prior week, Netflix said, when Pope Francis was ailing but still alive.

From April 21-27, The Two Popes reached the Netflix top 10 in 27 countries, racking up 3.2 million global views.

That view tally was good enough for eighth place last week among all English-language movies on Netflix. Tom Hardy’s Havoc topped the list with 29.8 million views in just its first three days of availability, nearly tripling TV’s top performer, the premiere of You season five (10.1 million views...

Celebrities and political leaders around the world expressed their condolences over the death of Pope Francis on April 21. The Pope died from complications due to a stroke after Easter Sunday. He was reportedly under treatment for quite some time. His funeral is set to take place on Saturday, with the papal conclave taking place soon after.

The death of the Pope has reportedly resulted in an increase in viewership for two related films. The first is Netflix’s The Two Popes, which has Pope Francis as a central character, played by Jonathan Pryce. The second is the recent awards season sensation and the winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, Conclave.

Ralph Fiennes’ Conclave gets a huge rise in viewership after Pope Francis’ death Ralph Fiennes in Conclave | Credits: Focus Features

Ralph Fiennes’ Oscar-nominated performance as Cardinal Thomas in Conclave received rave reviews last year, along with Edward Berger’s...

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, two films centered on papal leadership saw sharp increases in U.S. streaming activity, according to data from entertainment metrics firm Luminate. The movies—Conclave, a dramatized account of a fictional papal election, and The Two Popes, a Netflix biographical drama—both experienced significant viewership gains between April 20 and 21.

Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and distributed by Focus Features, recorded a 283% increase in streaming minutes. Viewers in the U.S. logged 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 and 6.9 million minutes on April 21. The film, based on a novel by Robert Harris, focuses on the election process that takes place after a pope’s death, with Ralph Fiennes portraying a key cardinal involved in the selection.

The film was recognized during awards season, winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Financed by FilmNation, Conclave earned more than $115 million globally on a production budget of $20 million.

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, those at home tuned in significantly to two papal movies: Focus Features’ Oscar winner Conclave and Netflix’s three-time Oscar-nominated The Two Popes.

Luminate data reports an increase in U.S. streaming viewership for Conclave on all platforms between April 20-21, of 283%, with 1.8 million minutes watched and 6.9M minutes watched on each day. The Edward Berger-directed movie is a fictional account of the election process after a Pope dies, with Ralph Fiennes playing a key cardinal in the mix.

The movie won an Oscar this year for Peter Straughn’s Adapted Screenplay. The movie, financed by FilmNation and distributed stateside by Focus, was also a huge title around the world earning more than $115M on a $20M production cost.

Some comps on Conclave‘s viewership per Luminate: The movie had daily viewership of 1.7M minutes watched in the U.S. during...

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, died April 21 at age 88. His funeral will take place on Saturday. Within 15 to 20 days, the College of Cardinals will gather at the Sistine Chapel to start the process of the papal conclave, which will conclude with the election of a new pope.

We mean no disrespect to the late Pope by noting this coincidence. Still, there will likely be more interest in this papal conclave than usual due to the film Conclave, which was released last year and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay earlier this month.

Conclave tells a fictional story about Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes), the dean of the College of Cardinals, who leads a conclave after the death of the sitting pope. As various contenders representing different schools of thought jockey for position, Lawrence investigates their closets for skeletons and finds plenty. The thrilling drama,...

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday (April 26) and released images of the pontiff lying in a simple wooden open casket in the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse as well as his last words.

The images show Cardinal Kevin Farrell presiding over the rite of certification of death of the pope following his death at the age of 88 from a stroke and heart failure on Monday (April 21).

In his last words, Pope Francis is reported to have expressed gratitude to his aides who facilitated his final appearance in Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, saying “Thank you for taking me into the square.”

The funeral mass will begin at 10am Cet (1am Pt) and take place on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, or the space in front of the basilica.

Pope Francis’s coffin will be transferred from the...

Behind the walls of the Vatican, one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the history of the Roman Catholic Church unfolds. From Academy Award–nominated director Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener) and screenwriter Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything), the biographical drama The Two Popes explores the role of the Church in the modern world through the relationship of two pontiffs: traditionalist Pope Benedict XVI and his liberal successor, Pope Francis.

Pope Benedict, played by Anthony Hopkins, resigned from the papacy in 2013. Pope Francis, played by Jonathan Pryce, served in the role for 12 years until his death in April 2025. Both Hopkins and Price earned Oscar nominations for their portrayals.

You can watch The Two Popes on Netflix now.

Frustrated by the direction the Church is taking, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio has sent multiple letters of resignation to the Vatican, all of which have gone unanswered. After...

Pope Francis died on Monday morning at 88.

Francis became the first Latin American pontiff in 2013 and was known for his gentle, humble demeanor as well as his critique of conservative politics.

His last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, when he blessed thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.

Francis’ reforms received considerable criticism from conservatives within the Catholic Church, but many praised him for his progressive thinking in adapting the church and Catholic religion to its followers.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement, “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.”

Farrell stated, “He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized…With immense gratitude for his example...

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Pope Francis, the first man of Latin American descent to be named the head of the Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 88.

News of the Pope’s passing was revealed in a statement from the Vatican.

“Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell wrote.

Pope Francis waves to onlookers and pilgrims while visiting the predominantly-Roma Lunik IX city district during his visit to eastern Slovakia on September 14, 2021 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” the statement continued.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized,...

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church for the past decade, died early Monday morning following a battle with multiple respiratory issues. He was 88 years old.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. Church doctrine calls for the pope to be buried four to six days after his death; the timing of Francis’ funeral has yet to be announced.

More from TVLineMichelle Trachtenberg's Cause of Death Revealed by Medical ExaminerGame Show Host Wink Martindale, of Tic-Tac-Dough Fame, Dead at 91Nicky Katt, Boston Public Actor, Dead at...

Today the Vatican announced that 88-year old Pope Francis has died after being hospitalized on February 14 in Rome.

The pope was admitted to Policlinico A. Gemelli with a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, and he told aides that he believed this was the end.

The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff was said to be in significant pain and “privately expressed certainty he won’t make it this time,” according to Politico. The pope had been in ill health for many years but always recovered to the point of carrying on with Sunday Mass and official church duties.

On the Sunday following his hospitalization Francis delegated a Vatican prelate to perform his mass.

Pope Francis Dead at 88

The outlet reported the pope had been working to “tie up loose ends” which included the extension of the term of the dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

Pope Francis, who made history as the first Latin American papal leader and was considered to have a more progressive approach than his conservative predecessors, died Monday, the Vatican confirmed. He was 88.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced in a statement. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially...

Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Ferrell said.

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

But he emerged on Easter...

Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, the office of the Holy See has said.

Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″

The Pope had been unwell for a number of months and was recovering from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia.

His passing death came less than 24 hours after he met with U.

Easter might be the holiest of days in Christianity, but it certainly does not have the depth of quality films that Christmas brings. Perhaps because Christmas is much more commercialized than Easter, receiving gifts makes the anticipation even better. But the films? There are some great ones.

With Easter, people get a lot of bunnies and crucifixion-related films. Both can be worthy, but they have to be done just right. Things can, unfortunately, go wrong easily.

Thankfully, with the three movies that follow, a lot goes right. Once you're done with Easter egg hunting, you can turn on one of these films that are currently streaming on Netflix. Two are not made for children, though.

Three films to stream on Netflix this EasterPeter Rabbit (2018)

The cast list here is incredible, but none of it works without James Cordon voicing the iconic rabbit spectacularly well. The animation is excellent, too. Not...

MSNBC has named Crooked Media’s Madeleine Haeringer as its new senior vice president of digital, audio and longform.

Haeringer, who previously spent 22 years working across NBC News and MSNBC, returns to the latter network on May 7 and will report directly to president Rebecca Kutler.

In her new role, she will oversee MSNBC.com, the network’s social publishing, audio offerings and longform projects, partnering closely with Meredith Bennett-Smith, Brad Gold, Aisha Turner, Alisha Conley and their respective teams.

During her former stint at NBCUniversal, Haeringer served in several senior roles, including senior vice president of editorial for NBC News, where she managed the editorial agenda and coordinated coverage across all broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms. She also oversaw the network’s editorial units, including Business & Technology, Health, Race & Inequality and Climate. Under her leadership, NBC News and MSNBC’s audio business became a Top 5 audio publisher and she worked...

J.K. Rowling just reignited an old Harry Potter debate. After confirming Hogwarts is a multifaith school, she hinted the series leans Christian, because they’re very British books. With its symbolism and biblical themes, the connection isn’t surprising.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in an interview with The Today Show | Credits: YouTube

But was Harry Potter always meant to have Christian roots, or is this just another layer of lore? Either way, fans now have fresh fuel for one of the franchise’s longest-running discussions.

J.K. Rowling confirmed Harry Potter had Christian themes because they were very British books Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in an interview via The Rowling Library | Credits: YouTube

J.K. Rowling confirmed what many fans have long suspected — Harry Potter is deeply rooted in Christian themes. While she once avoided discussing religion in the series, she now admits the biblical parallels were intentional.

Global media outlets, including CNN, CBS and NBC, are getting ready to descend upon Rome and Vatican City following reports that Pope Francis is in critical condition.

Logistical aspects such as renting terrace space to get the best camera angles of St. Peters’ Square in the event of a papal funeral — which draws a huge gathering of world leaders, prelates and ordinary Catholics — have long been taken care of, according to several sources. Now plane tickets are being booked for top anchors to make the trek. The pope’s funeral, according to strict protocol, is followed two to three weeks later by the secretive conclave in which cardinals from around the world gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next Catholic Church leader.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and early stages of a kidney insufficiency, has now been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for 11 days,...

Faith and religion tend to be internalized in such intangible and romantic terms that it is easy to overlook the inherent clash between the two. Where the former is a solitary and primal response to the mysteries of existence, the latter is an institutionalized, often political setup with rules and traditions devised for the masses.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Conclave!

In the Roman Catholic tradition, a new pope not only steps into a deeply significant role but also embraces a new identity, which happens at the end of Conclave. Becoming the Pope of the Catholic Church is a major deal, and it is not a role to be taken lightly. As such, the new Pope must mark a paradigm shift in their life to prepare for the massive responsibility of the role.

As Conclave shows, when a new Pope is chosen, this identity shift begins with choosing a papal name, which is a symbolic religious action rich with meaning, reverence, and intention. The selected name often reflects past popes, saintly figures, or values that the new pope wishes to embody, sending a message to the world and setting the tone for his papacy. At the end of Conclave, the new pope chooses the name Pope Innocentius,...

Sinead O’Connor Rips Up Pope’s Photo on Live TV: A Controversial Moment Remembered! (Photo Credit – Wikimedia)

It was October 3, 1992, a night that would etch itself into pop culture history. Sinéad O’Connor, the punk spirit wrapped in reluctant pop star clothing, took to the Saturday Night Live stage and did the unthinkable: she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II. With each tear—once, twice, thrice—O’Connor’s actions mirrored her turbulent journey through fame, a journey she had never anticipated. Just two years prior, she’d soared to the top with her iconic cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, only to find herself at the center of a storm she never requested.

The photo she tore wasn’t just any photo; it was a profoundly personal symbol tied to her fraught relationship with her late mother. O’Connor had promised herself that one day, she would destroy it.

If you think the American presidential election has been unpredictable, wait’ll you see how capricious things get at the Vatican when the cardinals assemble to choose a new pope in “Conclave.” Adapted from the Robert Harris novel by Edward Berger, who assumes a very different challenge after “All Quiet on the Western Front,” this thinking man’s thriller unfolds like a murder mystery behind the locked doors of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where the College of Cardinals is cloistered, except no one suspects foul play in the previous pontiff’s death.

Still, intrigues abound as the papabili — those considered next in line for the job, played by such formidable actors as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow — pull whatever levers they can to be elected. But “Conclave” obviously concurs with Plato’s adage, “Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it,” featuring a host...

Nearly 90 Jewish leaders in Missouri have signed an open letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) urging him to drop his support for Harrison Butker, after the Kansas City Chiefs kicker spread “one of the world’s oldest and most recognizable antisemitic lies” in his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College.

Butker’s speech at the Catholic institution generated immediate controversy for promoting retrograde conservative views, such as suggesting women in the audience should embrace their roles as a wives and mothers.

Elsewhere in the speech, Butker claimed that “Congress just...

Pope Francis has come under fire after reportedly using a vulgar and derogatory term about members of the LGBTQ community during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.

According to reports from two of Italy’s leading newspapers, La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, the 87-year-old pontiff made the offensive remark as he reiterated the Catholic Church’s stance against allowing gay men to be ordained as priests.

The publications quoted Francis as saying seminaries, or priesthood colleges, “are already too full of ‘frociaggine,'” an Italian slur roughly translated as “f—–ness.”

While the Vatican has not responded to requests for comment, the alleged May 20 incident has drawn widespread condemnation from LGBTQ advocates and liberal Catholics alike.

The reports indicate some unnamed bishops suggested Francis, an Argentine native, may not have realized the full offensiveness of the Italian term he used. However, critics argue the pope’s language promotes discriminatory attitudes regardless of intent.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicked the hornet’s nest last weekend when he encouraged the women of Benedictine College’s 2024 graduate class to embrace their roles as wives and homemakers rather than putting their degrees to use. While the speech drew widespread criticism for his characterization of women and LGBTQ+ people, Butker also promoted an insidious piece of antisemitic misinformation pertaining to legislation in Congress.

“I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,...

The fourth and final episode of the first season of Mysteries of the Faith brings out a contrasting aspect of the believers in religion and the non-believers. There is a mention of the different scientific experiments that have been conducted on the relics to prove their authenticity. Several events in different parts of the world connecting religious relics important for believers in Christianity have been presented in this episode. Streaming on Netflix, the mini-docu series does not blindly show a biased side of faith but also focuses on certain scientific evidence stating otherwise. It is left to the decisions of the audiences as to which angle of the story they are to believe. What opinions are brought out by the believers and the non-believers in the episode? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

What Made Rosario Livatino’s Shirt A Famous Relic?

A magistrate, Rosario Livatino, had been killed in Sicily.

On the heels of the wonderful 2019 The Two Popes, in which Anthony Hopkins starred as Pope Benedict XVI in an imagined conversation with Jonathan Pryce’s future Pope Francis, Hopkins is once again involved in the same kind of cinematic historical fictional meeting as founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, who is engaged in a private debate with The Chronicles of Narnia author and theologian C.S. Lewis (played by Matthew Goode) on the existence of God. As with The Two Popes, there is no proof whatsoever that any meeting ever took place, but it clearly provides lots of material to wrap your head around. That is exactly what Mark St. Germain did in creating his 2009 play Freud’s Last Session, which was built on the 1967 Harvard lectures of Dr. Armond M. Nicholi Jr in his presentation “The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life.

After a string of run-ins with Catholicism, Queen of pop Madonna has poked fun at the Pope by wearing a hoodie showing him with flaming wings. In a nod to her famous quote “I would like to see the Pope wearing my T-shirt,” Madonna has been sporting a black hoodie embroidered with an image of the Catholic leader wearing a Madonna-branded robe — with the red in the picture inspired by the Jewish mysticism movement Kabbalah.

The top was custom designed by Seks and also shows Pope Francis with a set of flaming wings, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Label designers Abel Cepeda Ljoka and Will Kowall told Page Six about how the Pope design was inspired by Madonna’s quote: “We used red thread inspired by the Kabbalah red string to protect the wearer’s energy.”

“We are literally the biggest Madonna fans. We love her so much, and have such...

After a string of run-ins with Catholicism, Queen of pop Madonna has poked fun at the Pope by wearing a hoodie showing him with flaming wings. In a nod to her famous quote “I would like to see the Pope wearing my T-shirt,” Madonna has been sporting a black hoodie embroidered with an image of the Catholic leader wearing a Madonna-branded robe — with the red in the picture inspired by the Jewish mysticism movement Kabbalah.

The top was custom designed by Seks and also shows Pope Francis with a set of flaming wings, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Label designers Abel Cepeda Ljoka and Will Kowall told Page Six about how the Pope design was inspired by Madonna’s quote: “We used red thread inspired by the Kabbalah red string to protect the wearer’s energy.”

“We are literally the biggest Madonna fans. We love her so much, and have such...

Agnieszka Holland is headed to the Vatican for a screening of her migrant crisis drama Green Border, following its selection for its 27th Tertio Millenio Film Festival in November.

The Polish director will also receive the festival’s Special Fuoricampo Prize in the Vatican Library on November 13, ahead of the screening in the presence of top Vatican representatives.

The news follows in the wake of a political backlash and online hate campaign against Holland and the film in Poland, where its depiction of the mistreatment of migrants on its border with Belarus has touched a raw nerve with the country’s right-wing government.

News of the Vatican honor went viral in the devoutly Roman Catholic country and provoked consternation on government-affiliated media outlets.

Related: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland’s Humanitarian Masterpiece Offers A Harrowing Vision Of The Refugee Crisis In Europe – Venice Film Festival

The annual Fuoricampo prize is...

ObituaryO'Connor was a critic of the Catholic Church long before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported, and made headlines by tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II in October 1992 while appearing on live television.Sinead O'Connor / Credit: Wikimedia CommonsAcclaimed artist Sinead O'Connor has passed away at the age of 56. In a statement cited by Irish broadcaster Rte, the singer's family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” O'Connor was propelled to worldwide fame by the Prince cover ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, which won the 1990 Billboard Music Awards for Best Single in the World. The string-accompanied ballad topped the music charts from Europe to Australia. She had already received critical acclaim for her first album The Lion and the Cobra, featuring her debut hit ‘Mandinka’. The...

Updated with Vatican statement on condition: Pope Francis will spend a few days in hospital after being diagnosed with a respiratory infection, the Vatican has said.

“In recent days, Pope Francis has complained of some breathing difficulties and this afternoon he went to the Gemelli Hospital to carry out some medical checks,” the Vatican press office said in a statement.

“The results highlighted a respiratory infection (excluding a Covid-19 infection) which will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical treatment,” it continued. “Pope Francis is touched by the many messages he has received.”

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday amid conflicting reports about his reason for being there.

The Vatican put out a short statement mid-afternoon saying the 86-year-old pontiff had been admitted for scheduled checks and that his diary had been cleared for Thursday and Friday.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera later reported...

Post-punk band Public Image Ltd are among the acts competing to represent Ireland at Eurovision this year.

The band, which includes the Sex Pistol’s John Lydon (formerly known as Johnny Rotten) on vocals, wants to enter a song titled “Hawaii”.

The group will be competing to represent Ireland in the contest, which will be held in Liverpool later this year.

The song is reportedly about Lydon’s wife Nora, who lives with Alzheimer’s. The pair have been married for over 50 years and Lydon cares for her.

“Hawaii” is reportedly a love song to Nora: “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,” said Lydon.

“It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”

1/2 PiL will be competing to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with their new single Hawaii - which is available...

Broadhurst Theatre curtain call for a jubilant Mark Jacoby (Neil Diamond now) and Will Swenson (Neil Diamond then) in A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, book by Anthony McCarten, directed by Michael Mayer Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

When I spoke with Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer in April of 2022 he had just launched his Broadway revival of Funny Girl, starring Beanie Feldstein (since replaced by Lea Michele) in the Barbra Streisand role as Fanny Brice and Ramin Karimloo taking on Nicky Arnstein, played by Omar Sharif in the film. Now he has A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical with Will Swenson starring as Diamond (then) and Mark Jacoby as Diamond (now). The book is by Anthony McCarten. McCarten also has on Broadway The Collaboration with Jeremy Pope...

Former Pope Benedict XVI, the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years rather than hold office for life, died Saturday, the Vatican announced in a statement. He was 95.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said.

Benedict made the stunning announcement in 2013 that he planned to step down as pope, citing his “advanced age,” saying he no longer had the strength to lead the church. He spent his final years in a converted monastery at the Vatican, residing in the same place as his successor Francis, an unprecedented situation which became the inspiration for the 2019 Netflix film The Two Popes. Anthony Hopkins portrayed Benedict in the Oscar-nominated film.

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was appointed pope at age 78, a position he never intended to hold,...

Almost 10 years after he retired due to health problems, the former Pope Benedict XVI, who served as the head of the Catholic Church from 2005 until 2013, when he became the first pope in six centuries to step down, has died. He was 95.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday. No cause of death was announced.

His death comes after current Pope Francis said at a prayer gathering on Wednesday,...

Pope Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95 at his residence in the Vatican. The news was announced in a short official statement on New Year’s Eve morning. His funeral will take place on Thursday, January 5, in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City at 9:30Am Italian time and led by Pope Francis. “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” wrote Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office. The Vatican added that Benedict’s body would lie at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from January 2 for “the greeting of the faithful.” Declaration of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday. He was 95.

Pope Francis will celebrate his funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, an unprecedented event in which a current pope will celebrate the funeral of a former one.

Benedict stunned the world on Feb. 11, 2013, when he announced, in his typical, soft-spoken Latin, that he no longer had the strength to run the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church that he had steered for eight years through scandal and indifference.

His dramatic decision paved the way for the conclave that elected Francis as his successor. The two popes then lived side-by-side in the Vatican gardens, an unprecedented arrangement that set the stage for future “popes emeritus” to do the same.

A statement from Vatican spokesman...

Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration starring Jeremy Pope as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol at the Manhattan Theatre Club Samuel J Friedman Theatre Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Acclaimed screenwriter, playwright, novelist, and producer Anthony McCarten has two shows that have recently opened on Broadway, and the biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody in cinemas globally.

Anthony McCarten with Anne-Katrin Titze from a Manhattan restaurant: “During the early years of the 2000s I was something of a name as a novelist in Germany.”

In Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, screenplay by McCarten, starring Anthony Hopkins (Pope Benedict XVI) and Jonathan Pryce (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to become Pope...

Fernando Meirelles' 2019 film "The Two Popes" is, in fact, mostly about one pope. Historically, it traces the timeline of the Roman Catholic Church from the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005 and the subsequent ascendency of Pope Benedict XVI to the position. Benedict XVI was pope infamously decided to abdicate the papacy in 2013, something a pope had not done since Pope Gregory Xii in 1415. Benedict was succeeded by the current pope, Francis (no Roman numeral), and "The Two Popes" traces his history as the young priest Jorge Mario Bergoglio surviving various bouts of political strife in his native Argentina. Juan Gervasio Minujín plays the...

The post Anthony Hopkins Channeled John Wayne For The Two Popes Performance appeared first on /Film.

A scripted series about legendary rock band U2 is in early development at Netflix, Variety has confirmed with sources.

JJ Abrams is attached to executive produce the project under his Bad Robot banner, with “Bohemian Rhapsody” writer Anthony McCarten onboard to write the script. Warner Bros. Television, where Bad Robot is currently under an expansive overall deal, will produce. It is unclear at this time exactly how involved U2 would be in the project.

Exact plot details for the show are currently under wraps, but given McCarten’s involvement it seems logical to assume that the show would delve into the history of the band.

Reps for Netflix, Warner Bros. TV, and Bad Robot declined to comment.

U2 is one of the most iconic bands in history and rank among the best-selling musical artists of all time. The Irish group first formed in 1976 and consists of members Paul “Bono” Hewson,...

Let’s toast Sir Anthony Hopkins for making history as the oldest nominee ever to compete for a Best Actor trophy and also now is the oldest champion. The 83-year-old Welshman won for his role as an elderly patriarch in the throes of increasingly debilitating dementia in “The Father.” He beat the nomination record held for 21 years by Richard Farnsworth, who was 79 when he was recognized for his lead performance in 1999’s “The Straight Story.” He also took over the Best Actor record of oldest winner from Henry Fonda (“On Golden Pond”).

Hopkins previously won the Best Actor prize for his portrait of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and would go to be nominated as a male lead as a reticent butler in 1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and as the disgraced 37th U.S. president in 1995’s “Nixon.” Hopkins also competed in the supporting category twice,...