Pope Francis Applauds YouTube And Hollywood Stars

Pope Francis invited popular YouTubers and celebrities to the Vatican to praise them for their beauty tips and their position to help young people develop “virtual identities.”

The pontiff praised Louise Pentland for her beauty and fashion tips on her YouTube channel, Sprinkle of Glitter.

“I am glad that you carry out the type of work you said, following the line of beauty,” the Pope told her, the South China Morning Post reported. “It’s a great thing. To preach beauty and show beauty helps neutralize aggression.”

Other YouTubers invited to the Vatican includede Hayla Ghazal, a comedian from Dubai; and Dulce Candy, a Mexican-American who crossed the U.S. border illegally as a young child.

The pontiff asked YouTuber’s to help their followers by showing them how to create a virtual identity, the South China Morning Post reported.

“You can create a virtual identity; you belong to this circle at least virtually,” he said. “From that you can start taking a path of optimism and hope.”

Pope Francis went on to meet with actors Salma Hayek, Richard Gere, and George Clooney. The pontiff awarded medals to the actors to promote his foundation, Scholas Occurrentes.

But these meetings might be the least interesting ones the pontiff has had in recent days.

On May 23, Pope Francis met with Imam Ahmed al Tayyeb, the highest authority in Sunni Islam. The two all but announced a one-world religion, as they pledged to work together for the “happiness of all humanity.”

During the meeting, Pope Francis hugged and kissed Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

In a report by Russia Today, the pontiff’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, was blamed for ruining Muslim-Catholic relations by “appearing” to suggest that Islam is linked to violence; something that is a factual statement. Once again, it provided an opportunity for the pontiff to discuss one of his favorite topics, global warming.

In December, Pope Francis promoted a World Bank Group production, Connect4Climate, by displaying larger-than-life sized nature images on the side of St. Peter’s Basilica. The “contemporary public art” display was called “Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home”

The pontiff regularly enjoys taking center stage in the political arena.

Pope Francis endorsed the Iran deal, the United Nations’ environmental position and worldwide-open borders for refugees, the New York Post reported.

Post columnist John Podhoretz called him “a liberal political pundit.” Pope Francis has also promoted the Internet as a “gift from God” and a vehicle of goodness.

“Because of the awesome position he holds, and by dint of his own teachings and his life and teachings before he rose to service as the Vicar of Christ, Francis is said to be deeper and loftier than mere politics,” wrote John Podhoretz. “Sorry: When the pontiff sounds less like a theological leader and more like the 8 p.m. host on MSNBC or the editor of Mother Jones, what’s a guy to do?”

In 2015, Pope Francis became the first reigning pontiff to address Congress.

Part of the Pope’s address at that time urged lawmakers to not look at the number of refugees seeking help, but to simply take them in.

“Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War,” said Pope Francis. “This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation.”

[Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images]