Audience in St. Peter's Square

Lou Ferrigno, the actor who portrayed the comic book superhero Hulk, met Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday in Vatican City. The 1951-born former professional bodybuilder, accompanied by his wife Carla Green, spoke briefly with the American pontiff following the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. Ferrigno starred in the title role of the CBS television series from 1977 to 1982 before taking on subsequent roles in television and cinema. Speaking with journalists after the gathering, he explained that his Catholic upbringing in a family with roots in the southern Amalfi region gave him a lifelong ambition to greet the head of the Catholic Church. Following their conversation, Ferrigno posed for photographers by raising his fists and bringing them down to mimic the transformation gesture of Bruce Banner.

Speaking after the encounter, Ferrigno expressed his personal reaction to greeting the pontiff.

“I'm very, very honoured to be here to see Pope Leo, because it's my whole life, it's a dream coming true.”

Papal outreach to the film industry

The meeting adds Ferrigno to a wider circle of cinema figures received at the Holy See. On 15 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV hosted an audience in the Apostolic Palace for between 160 and 300 film industry delegates, including directors, actors, and production workers. Guests at the Vatican gathering included Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Gus Van Sant, and Stefania Sandrelli, alongside Italian directors Giuseppe Tornatore, Matteo Garrone, and Marco Bellocchio. Director Spike Lee presented the pontiff with a personalized New York Knicks basketball jersey displaying the name Pope Leo. During his remarks, the pope characterized filmmaking as an art of the Spirit and a language of peace, cautioning against algorithmic curation while calling for the protection of traditional movie houses. He also singled out four films on hope and fatherhood: Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful (1997), Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Robert Redford's Ordinary People (1980), and Robert Wise's The Sound of Music (1965).

White Sox letter and sports ties

The Vatican encounter also coincided with another exchange involving the American pontiff. On Wednesday, baseball club the Chicago White Sox confirmed the receipt of a letter sent by Pope Leo XIV to team owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Written on 9 September 2026, the note arrived at Chicago's Rate Field on Tuesday prior to the opening game of their American League Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros. The pontiff supported the White Sox while growing up in Chicago and attended their World Series opener 21 years prior, a 5-3 win over Houston, under his pastoral identity as Father Bob and given name Robert Prevost. His correspondence acknowledged a tribute the franchise organized during an 11 August game against the Cincinnati Reds.

In his message to the team, the pontiff shared his hopes for the club's broader social role.

“It is my hope that the White Sox will continue to foster bonds of friendship and solidarity among people, and thus bear hopeful witness to the possibility of living and working together in peace.”