On April 21, 2025, Easter Monday, Pope Francis passed away at the Vatican at the age of 88, after making appearances during Easter celebrations the previous day.
A leader whose 12-year pontificate was entirely within the social-media era and the 24/7 news cycle, Pope Francis -- never shy of talking to the press or being seen on camera -- was the most visible successor to Peter in the 21st Century.
As the first head of the Catholic Church from the Americas, the Argentinian native generated a lot of headlines in his time, and also, several documentaries and even a scripted film.
Below find a few of those that were particular favorites of Family Theater Productions' producer-at-large Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C., a Holy Cross priest and USC film-school graduate.
Take it away, Father Vince ...
The Pope: Answers (2023), Hulu (including as part of the Disney+ bundle)
Directed by Spaniards Jordi Évole and Màrius Sànchez (Spanish-language title Francisco Responde), this is by far my favorite of the Pope Francis documentaries. In it, the pontiff holds a group audience with young Spanish speakers from Spain, Senegal, Argentina, the United States, Peru, and Colombia.
The young people exchange joyful, yet nervous introductions to begin the film. Very quickly, though, some begin to challenge the pope on hot-button life issues. Pope Francis holds the Church line, but does so in a way that’s pastorally sensitive.
I had a sneaking feeling the subjects were ideologically chosen to push the pope’s buttons on Church morality, but they did choose a woman of orthodox Catholic faith (Maria Losantos) to represent the practicing Church.
Inadvertently, the documentary shows faith (and the Catholic faith in particular) as the best way to proceed through life. Maria comes across as the most balanced, most faithful, most scientific, and kindest of the audience, as she aids Pope Francis in intellectually defending the Faith from all comers.
Maria represents a decade-old surge in Catholicism in Spain that I witnessed when attending 2023 World Youth Day in Portugal.
Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018), Prime Video, Apple TV, and more
Director Wim Wenders is my favorite director of those filmmakers who have helmed Pope Francis documentaries. He directed many a music video for my favorite rock band, U2, and his Wings of Desire (1987-German) and Perfect Days (2023-Japan) are a couple of the more rewatchable foreign films out there.
Wenders developed an auteur style early on in his career, and it remains consistent to this day. Wenders arranges the chapters thematically and engages the Pope’s most cherished causes: the poor, immigrants and care for the environment, among others.
The director chooses one simple camera technique: the pope talks to the camera directly and at eye level. The subtle stylistic choice makes all the difference.
Francesco (2020), Tubi, Roku Channel, Prime Video
Directed by Israeli-American Evgeny Afineevsky, who, like Wenders, is an Oscar-nominated documentarian. His Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom is especially relevant.
This documentary (originally presented on Discovery+), takes up many of the issues broached by Wenders two years prior and does so in a more urgent and politically charged way.
Agree or disagree with the director, no one can deny his bold vision. And this style best captures the Pope’s chosen name. After all, St. Francis of Assisi boldly re-introduced a focus on care for the poor, ruffling many of the ecclesiastical feathers of his day.
The film also includes Pope Francis' memorable solo appearance in St. Peter's Square in 2020 to bless the people of Rome, Milan and the world, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Editor's note: As I said at the time, in my own blog:
Over the credits, a spectacular light show bathes St. Peter’s Basilica in both gorgeous and ugly images of human life and nature from around the globe. To me, it felt like the film was saying that the Church is the heart of the world.
Which, of course, she is.
The Two Popes (2019), Netflix
While wildly entertaining, last year’s Oscar-nominated drama Conclave took papal politics a bit too, seriously, in that the fictional film presents itself as knowing what goes on in a papal election.
Another fictional project, The Two Popes, directed by Fernando Meirelles and adapted by Anthony McCarten from his stage play, seeks a more humble approach, signified in the final scene that plays over the credits.
Germany and Argentina played each other in the 2014 World Cup final. Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), who later resigned the office, and Cardinal Jorge Bergolio (Jonathan Pryce), the future Pope Francis, enjoy the match over a beer.
That never happened in real life, as Benedict claims to have never been able to sit through a soccer match. So, the film takes an imagined conversation approach to this unique time in Church history.
The then-current pope and his eventual successor are vastly different individuals originating from far corners of the world. But they end up getting along well. It’s an imagined idealism, that I think, was true of the two men and their relationship.
Image: Shutterstock
Click here to visit Father Vince Kuna’s IMDB page.
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Content Manager and Blog Editor at Family Theater Productions.
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