Angelina Jolie with Kids in the Vatican City

Actress-filmmaker Angelina Jolie, 39 met Pope Francis at the Vatican City. The Hollywood A-lister screened her latest directorial venture ‘Unbroken‘, WW II biopic to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

The film is about the life story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned bomber pilot, who spent 47 days lost in the Pacific Ocean after his B-24 crashed during World War II. He was later captured and imprisoned by the Japanese.  Jolie was accompanied by daughters Shiloh and Zahara and Zamperini’s real-life son Luke Zamperini for the screening. Brad Pitt was not in attendance.

Pope Francis didn’t attend the screening, but graciously welcomed the opportunity to screen the film in the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV palace, headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Science. The screening was attended by a small delegation of high-ranking Vatican prelates who described the story “moving.”

The Pope met Jolie briefly post screening in the “Throne Room” and it usually meant to receive visiting state heads. Angelina, who is the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told that it was indeed an honor and tribute to her film and revealed how making the movie renewed her faith in the divine. In the past, Vatican turned down the request of film screenings for Russell Crowe’s Noah and Steve Coogan’s Philomena.

Jolie’s meeting with Pope comes just about two months after the Oscar-winning star met Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace. Jolie was presented with the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George at a reception, in recognition of her efforts to curb gender violence and her contributions o the UK foreign policies.

Angelina Jolie was spotted with daughters Zahara and Shiloh, shopping at local toy shop in Rome, ahead of meeting with the Pope.