Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese, well-known for his deep-rooted spirituality, recently met with Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican and disclosed his plans to create a film centred on the life of Jesus.

Addressing attendees at a conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination” in Rome, held in collaboration with Jesuit publication La Civiltà Cattolica and Georgetown University, Scorsese shared his response to the Pope’s call for artists.

He further declared that he is ready to commence production, hinting that this project may be his next cinematic endeavour.

During the conference, Scorsese engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Antonio Spadaro, the director of La Civiltà Cattolica, where he artfully intertwined references to his previous films and personal anecdotes. Spadaro later conveyed, as published on the publication’s website, that Scorsese expressed how deeply moved he was by the Holy Father’s plea “to let us see Jesus.”

In the midst of their dialogue, Scorsese spoke of his admiration for Pier Paolo Pasolini’s renowned masterpiece The Gospel According to St. Matthew. He also delved into the significance of his own epic work from 1988, The Last Temptation of Christ, as well as his more recent introspective drama from 2016, Silence, which explores the persecution of Jesuit Christians in 17th-century Japan.

Notably, Silence had the privilege of being screened at the Vatican in 2016. Pope Francis, being the first Jesuit pope, once aspired to become a missionary in Japan, which further amplifies the connection between the two figures.

At present, Scorsese’s manager, Rick Yorn, has not provided any comments concerning the director’s new religious-themed project.