Robert De Niro's Meeting with Pope Leo Sparks Controversy
Robert De Niro's brief visit to Italy has unexpectedly caused a public outcry. The Oscar winner met with Pope Leo, a meeting that quickly provoked a wave of online backlash.
Mixed Reactions to the Encounter
However, not everyone viewed the meeting negatively. Some defended it as a simple act of goodwill. One supporter said:
De Niro was in Rome receiving the Lupa Capitolina award and the meeting was arranged for him to attend with another group. You are all making too much of it. My own brother met Pope John Paul II the same way. Popes often meet people as goodwill gestures. That's their job.
Speculations and Background
The controversy follows speculation that De Niro might be considering moving abroad permanently, as he appeared delighted while accepting the Lupa Capitolina from Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.
This event occurred nearly two decades after a citizenship controversy involving De Niro. In 2004, the Order of the Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) criticized honoring him, claiming he portrayed "unflattering and untrue stereotypes" of Italian-Americans.
He has done nothing to promote Italian culture in the United States.
The OSIA accused him of "making a career of playing gangsters of Italian descent," as reported by The Guardian.
Summary
De Niro’s meeting with Pope Leo divided public opinion, highlighting long-standing tensions over his portrayal of Italian-American culture.
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