Robert De Niro Visits the Vatican for a Meeting with Pope Leo – Details
The Hollywood star concluded his time in Rome with a special audience at the Apostolic Palace, where he was welcomed by Pope Leo XIV. However, it didn't take long for reactions to surface across social media.
In a scene more fitting for a screenplay than real life, Robert De Niro — the legendary two-time Academy Award winner — brought his signature gravitas to the Apostolic Palace in Rome, Italy, for a meeting that has since sparked both awe and outrage online.
Pope Leo XIV meeting Robert De Niro at the Apostolic Palace on November 7, 2025, in Vatican City. | Source: Getty Images
On the quiet morning of November 7, 2025, inside the stately Sala del Tronetto, the actor was personally welcomed by Pope Leo XIV in a moment dripping with formality and reverence.
The Pope himself broke the silence first, warmly saying, "Good morning! It's a pleasure to meet you!" to which the Hollywood star, never one to miss a beat, replied, "For me as well."
Pope Leo XIV and Robert De Niro at the Apostolic Palace on November 7, 2025, in Vatican City. | Source: Getty Images
Though the audience was brief and remarkably restrained, it pulsed with emotional intimacy. In a schedule packed with high-level commitments, the Pope still took time to greet the Hollywood star and his five accompanying guests — including family.
There was a gentle exchange in English, a flurry of posed photographs, and then an unexpected gesture of grace — His Holiness presented each guest with a blessed rosary.
Pope Leo XIV with Robert De Niro at the Apostolic Palace on November 7, 2025, in Vatican City. | Source: Getty Images
Yet, while the sacred setting offered peace and reflection, the internet had other plans. Social media exploded with commentary, as some netizens clutched pearls over perceived etiquette breaches.
"What happened to kissing the papal ring??? I would be on bended knee in honor of his Holy Father," one demanded. A second person echoed the sentiment with, "What happened to kissing the ring of a Pope?" Another sharply noted, "He didn't kiss the ring."
Robert De Niro and Pope Leo XIV with others at the Apostolic Palace on November 7, 2025, in Vatican City. | Source: Getty Images
Accusations flew, with a fourth person writing, "He had no idea how to greet the Pope." Another person speculated, "The pope wasn't impressed." Even the body language drew fire, as someone else noted, "Look how Pope Leo resists de Niro's hand grabbing him [sic]."
A separate wave of online discussion focused on the rosaries themselves. Many viewers speculated about whether the Pope was handing them out to everyone.
Pope Leo XIV posing with Robert De Niro and others at the Apostolic Palace on November 7, 2025, in Vatican City. | Source: Getty Images
Some questioned why the group received them at all, especially considering assumptions about their religious affiliations. Others simply expressed a desire to receive one of the rosaries, particularly those believed to have been blessed by the Pope. One voice chimed in bluntly, "This seems unnecessary."
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQxIZznDVcz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&mWidth=350&mHeight=657&dWidth=600&dHeight=970While online discourse raged, Drena De Niro, Robert's daughter, took a far more personal tone. She shared a series of intimate photos from inside the palace, wrapped in reflection and heartache. Her emotional caption spoke of grief, grace, and spiritual clarity.
Robert De Niro with his children, Drena and Julian De Niro, and Pope Leo XIV from a post dated November 9, 2025. | Source: Instagram/drenadeniro
"I may never find the words to describe the fullness in my heart. To stand in His Holiness's presence and aura in a room filled with so much love and kindness is an honor that will stay with me for the rest of my days," she wrote.
Julian, Robert, and Drena De Niro with a guest from a post dated November 9, 2025. | Source: Instagram/drenadeniro
Drena also saw the moment as laced with signs from her late son, Leo — whose presence she felt in the laughter, the warmth, and even in her slipping mantilla, which she said fell each time the Pope came near.
"I almost felt him knocking it off and laughing as I silently freaked out and kept putting it back on my head," she recalled.
Drena, Robert, and Julian De Niro from a post dated November 9, 2025. | Source: Instagram/drenadeniro
Forgetting her rosary before the visit, Drena described receiving one — strung with pearls — as a gift she immediately associated with the American pontiff. "All Leo," she typed, closing the post with thanks to her family, the Pope, and "the 2 most divine Leo's I've ever met [sic]."
Just a day before his meeting with the Pope, Robert stood proudly beside Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, atop the iconic Campidoglio balcony overlooking the Imperial Forums. Reflecting on the city's majestic soul, the actor declared:
"Rome is more than a city; it's a living work of art."
Robert De Niro receiving the Lupa Capitolina honor from the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, at the Campidoglio in Italy on November 6, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
He was presented with the Lupa Capitolina, the highest civic honor Rome bestows. The actor — visibly moved — accepted it with humility and pride.
"To be recognized here, in a place that has given so much to the world of culture, cinema, and beauty, is truly moving," he said, before adding the tribute to his Italian roots, "[...] This recognition holds a very special meaning for me."
Robert De Niro and Roberto Gualtieri at the Campidoglio in Rome, Italy, on November 6, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
From the ancient heart of Rome to the sacred stillness of the Vatican, Robert De Niro's whirlwind visit wove together legacy, family, and spiritual grace.
It ended not with fanfare but with a handshake, a blessing, and a deeply personal moment — shared between generations, and between a man of cinema and a man of God.