Director Scorsese meets pope ahead of the release of ‘Silence’

Director Martin Scorsese said his meeting in Rome with Pope Francis had both moving and light-hearted moments, with the pope even cracking a joke about getting actor Andrew Garfield to join the priesthood.

Scorsese met Francis at the Apostolic Palace earlier this month to discuss his upcoming film “Silence,” which opens Dec. 25 and features Garfield and Adam Driver portraying Jesuit priests in 17th century Japan.

Scorsese said he mentioned to the pope, a member of the Jesuit order, that Garfield had gone through the Jesuits’ 30 days of spiritual exercises before filming.

“And (the pope) said the next thing for Andrew to do is to be ordained,” Scorsese recalled, speaking during the first screening of “Silence” in Los Angeles. “And I looked at the pope and said, ‘Instead he got me.’ And there was a big laugh. And it really loosened up.”

Scorsese said a premeeting with the papal staff was filled with discussion of protocol. When Francis arrived, however, he immediately put everyone at ease.

“He was the most disarming ... everything was fine,” Scorsese said. “He was smiling and thanked us for being there.”

The pope told Scorsese that he had read the 1966 novel on which the film was based by the late Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, a convert to Catholicism.

“(Francis) did say, I hope the story of the film, knowing the book, bears much fruit,” Scorsese said.

The film follows the two Jesuit priests in Japan, where Christians were persecuted, as they search for their mentor (played by Liam Neeson). Scorsese gave Francis a copy of a painting of a Madonna by a 17th century Japanese artist that was venerated by the Christians who continued to practice the faith underground.