"The most extraordinary spiritual leaders" - Leonardo DiCaprio pens down a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis following his demise

Following Pope Francis's demise on April 21, 2025, several celebrities have paid heartfelt tributes to him. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the news on a broadcast by Vatican Media, and the cause of his death was officially announced to be a stroke followed by irreversible cardiac arrest.

From EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg to tennis legend Rafael Nadal, many celebrities have paid heartfelt tributes to the Pope on social media. Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has also penned a touching tribute to the late Catholic leader.

DiCaprio shared two pictures of his meeting with the Pope in an Instagram post on April 22, 2025. In the caption, he wrote:

"Pope Francis was one of the most extraordinary spiritual leaders of our time. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of environmentalists around the world. May he rest in peace."

Although DiCaprio was raised as a catholic, he has not clarified his religious beliefs, but insists that he is not an atheist. Recalling his 2016 meeting with the Pope, the star wrote:

"During the filming of my documentary Before the Flood in 2016, I had the honor of sitting down with Pope Francis for a conversation on the urgent need to address climate change. That experience was enlightening, deeply moving and thought provoking."

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Leonardo DiCaprio and Pope Francis exchanged presents at their meeting in 2016

According to an article from The Catholic Herald published on January 28, 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio met the Pope at the Vatican. DiCaprio thanked him in Italian for the meeting and kissed his ring.

DiCaprio presented the Pope with a book with works by the artist Hieronymus Bosch inside. Bosch was the 15th-century Dutch painter. He showed the Pope a reproduction of a triptych that had hung over his crib as a child.

The triptych known as The Garden of Earthly Delights shows a landscape of bodies in the middle with the Garden of Eden and the Last Judgement on either side.

DiCaprio told Pope Francis:

"As a child I didn’t quite understand what it all meant, but through my child’s eyes it represented a planet, the utopia we had been given, the overpopulation, excesses, and the third panel we see a blackened sky that represents so much to me of what’s going in in the environment."

Leonardo DiCaprio also gave the Pope a cheque from his foundation to use for whatever charitable purpose he wanted. The Pope presented DiCaprio with a leather-bound copy of his encyclical, Laudato Si'.

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Leonardo DiCaprio praised Pope Francis' activism on climate change

DiCaprio also noted the Pope's activism regarding the world climate crisis in his tribute. The Titanic star is a United Nations Messenger of Peace and well-known for voicing his concerns about climate change. He also has a non-profit organization named after him, which promotes environmental awareness.

Addressing the Pope's contribution to the climate change cause, DiCaprio wrote in his tribute:

"He demonstrated a deep and unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship, most notably through his groundbreaking 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’. This powerful document served as a clarion call for a fundamental shift in how we relate to the planet."

Besides the climate crisis, the Pope was also vocal about his support for the LGBTQ+ community, opposed war, and emphasized diplomacy over military action.