Pope Leo’s Favorite Films Are a Direct Hit on Greed, Fascism, and Cynicism

He’s for the little guy — and apparently on a mission from God. Yes, there’s a Blues Brothers photo.

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At a Vatican briefing this week, Pope Leo XIV no pontiff has ever done: he announced his four favorite films.

It comes days before he’ll host a crowd of Hollywood A-listers (Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee and more) at the Vatican.

To break the ice, Leo gave a glimpse of his DVD shelf (he’s 70): It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Life Is Beautiful — all beloved classics.

But those knee-jerk reactions miss the point: these films reveal more about Leo’s soul than any edgy new release could.

Cinema with a Conscience

Each of Leo’s favorite movies carries a moral message that resonates with his young papacy.

Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life shows a man standing up to greed, the excesses of capitalism, and learning that every life is precious — a parable of dignity over profit that mirrors Leo’s own preaching (he’s denounced an “economy that kills” and a “throwaway culture” that discards the vulnerable.

The Sound of Music and Life Is Beautiful both pit ordinary families against Nazism, celebrating love triumphing over hate.

And Ordinary People, a quiet story of guilt and forgiveness, speaks to Leo’s ministry of mercy, reinforcing his belief that no soul is beyond redemption.

For those who know Leo, these choices are anything but boring — they’re almost autobiographical.

I’ve often called Leo the George Bailey of the Catholic Church.

Like that big-hearted hero, he has spent his life standing up for the little guy and reminding everyone that every person matters. No wonder he loves stories where decency and hope win in the end.

As for a fifth film, our friends at Pope Crave joked that Leo’s guilty pleasure might be the Vatican thriller The Conclave.

But my money’s on The Blues Brothers. There’s a photo of young Fr. Leo circa 1982 wearing black sunglasses and looking every bit like a Blues Brother.

This Chicago pope is, after all, on a mission from God.

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