Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Set to Meet Pope Francis at the Vatican This Month
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican later this month for a special introduction, according to reports on Wednesday.
Although the Hollywood power couple consider themselves nonreligious, the pair will fly into Rome in early Jan. in order to attend a "VIP meet-and-greet with Pope Francis," reported US Weekly. Both Pitt and Jolie "admire the Pope" as well as his message, according to a source close to the stars.
The Argentinian Pontiff is beloved for his affirmations of Catholic doctrines on abortion, artificial contraception, and homosexuality. Pope Francis maintains the Church's teaching against homosexual acts but also said gay people should not be marginalized.
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"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge," the Pontiff famously said in 2013.
Also outspoken about homosexuality, Pitt and Jolie previously took a strong stance on gay marriage, saying they would like to wait to marry until gay couples in the U.S. could also marry. However, Pitt later admitted they were unable to "hold out," and Jolie became a bride on Aug. 23.
Nevertheless, Pitt, who grew up in the Baptist church, says today that he is "20 percent atheist and 80 percent agnostic," according to Bild. Jolie is also nonreligious, but her recent experience with Louis Zamperini, the war hero and devout Christian that inspired her film "Unbroken," changed her view of prayer.
Jolie's meeting with Pope Francis will arrive just three months after the "Unbroken" director was made an honorary dame by another international icon, England's Queen Elizabeth II. In October, the Oscar-winning actress was formerly introduced to Her Majesty and awarded with the title of Honorary Dame Grand Cross for her campaign against rape in war zones. The title is the female equivalent of a knighthood.
