Martin Scorsese, an acquaintance of Pope Francis who has been photographed with the pontiff several times, says his death “runs deep” in a statement the “Last Temptation of Christ” director sent to TheWrap.
“There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, to the papacy,” Scorsese wrote. “I will leave that to others. He was, in every way, a remarkable human being.”
Scorsese, an Italian-American and a Catholic, has imbued his body of work with religious themes and is currently developing a “Life of Jesus” film that he will direct. Scorsese says the film, based on the novel by Japanese writer Shasaku Endo, was inspired by Francis’ call to bring spiritual themes to the art world.
“He acknowledged his own failings,” Scorsese, who met with Francis at the Vatican as recently as last year, wrote. “He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness. He had an ironclad commitment to the good. He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning. And he never stopped enlightening. And, he embraced, preached and practiced forgiveness. Universal and constant forgiveness. The loss for me runs deep — I was lucky enough to know him, and I will miss his presence and his warmth. The loss for the world is immense. But he left a light behind, and it can never be extinguished.”
Pope Francis Dies at 88