'Jesus' Meets The New Pope
Since the first American ascended to the papacy, numerous celebrities and world leaders have made the pilgrimage to Rome to meet with him. This week, it was Jesus himself (well, TV's current Jesus, anyway).
A photo of Jonathan Roumie, who plays Christ in Prime Video's The Chosen, and Pope Leo XIV was posted to the official 'Pontifex' Instagram account along with a number of other snapshots.
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The accompanying caption mentions Jesus by name.
'Every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, we grow in our connection with Him, and His grace is bestowed immediately,' the passage reads.
Roumie also met the late Pope Francis before he passed.
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A post shared by Pope Leo XIV (@pontifex)
The actor and other members of the show's cast and crew visited the Vatican on Monday ahead of The Chosen's Season 5 premiere in Italy next month. As part of the visit, Episode 4, 'The Same Coin,' was shown at the Vatican's Filmoteca theater Monday afternoon.
The Chosen ensemble held a press conference that same day, at which Roumie called the Vatican visit a 'humbling honor,' according to the Catholic News Agency.
'When [Pope Leo XIV] was elected, I wept, because I never thought I'd see an American pope in my lifetime,' Roumie said. To get 'to communicate to him in our native language this week is just something I never thought I would see in my life.'
The actor was joined by Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), George Xanthis (John the Apostle), Vanessa Benavente (Mother Mary) and series creator Dallas Jenkins.
Jenkins called the visit 'a tremendous honor.'
The cast and crew on Sunday had just finished three weeks of shooting Jesus' crucifixion for Season 6 in Basilicata, the same location used for The Passion of the Christ.
Jenkins called those three weeks 'the most challenging and difficult we had in filming.'
Amazon MGM Studios and 5&2 Studios will release the Season 6 finale of The Chosen as a feature film exclusively in theaters on March 12, 2027.
Additionally, Season 7 will kick off with a feature film depicting the resurrection of Jesus. That will be exclusively in theaters on March 31, 2028. Both are being produced as standalone films designed for the big screen experience.
Season 6 will be available to stream on Prime Video prior to the theatrical debut of the finale, while Season 7 will stream on Prime Video following the theatrical run of the premiere. Season 5 premiered last week on Prime Video in the U.S.
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