Pope Francis to make movie debut playing himself in children’s gospel film

It is not yet known the scale of Pope Francis’ involvement in the film, with information on AMBI’s site stating his involvement as only “an epilogue from Pope Francis telling children how and where to find Jesus”.

Pope Francis also reminded Catholics that while some take the initiative when seeking God, ‘it’s always he who comes to look for us’.

Pope Francis quipped that he feels “rather like a mother-in-law” when called upon to give guidance.

The Pope stressed the common interest of China and the Holy See for peace and the urgent need for dialogue between cultures and civilizations, in a one-hour interview at the Vatican on January 28 with Asia Times columnist and China Renmin University senior research associate Francesco Sisci. “Not only will families from around globe enjoy this film and be entertained, but they will be moved”. The press release was accompanied by photos of the pope with the filmmakers.

During his Angelus, the Pope reflected on that day’s Gospel where Jesus was thrown out the temple and threatened by people in his hometown of Nazareth, and how this would affect Mary. “It is evident that when communication happens in an aggressive tone to defend oneself, then wars result”, he said. After recounting the passage, Francis said that it is not simply the story of “a dispute among companions, as sometimes happens, caused by envy and jealousy”.

“And so, when one takes responsibility for one’s own path, accepting it for what it was, this allows one’s historical and cultural richness to emerge, even in hard moments”, he said.

The Chinese are a great people, with a long history of wisdom, Francis said.

“The Pope believes the Chinese are in a positive moment, and they should not be scared of this moment, nor should the world be afraid of China”.