More than 20 celebrities will meet with Pope Francis during the first edition of the Vitae Summit 2022 on Wednesday to send a message "of unity and hope" amid the negativity and hate speech that abounds on social media.
Film and music personalities such as American actor Denzel Washington, Colombian singer and producer J. Balvin, Mexican actor Eduardo Verasategui and many others are expected to participate, the organization reported today.
[Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the former Soviet Union, dies at 91]
Other guests include American actress Patricia Heaton, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, British actor David Oyelowo, Canadian singer Alessi Cara and other artists.
Pope Francis will talk with the artists at the headquarters of the Academy of Sciences in the Vatican, which has not yet made the two-day summit official.
"We feel optimistic and excited about the great response from the different artists and referents for this first Vitae Summit 2022," Luis Quinelli, president and founder of Vitae Global, told the EFE news agency.
"Very grateful for the support and participation of Pope Francis. We now have the great challenge of starting a conversation together on how to put hope, unity and the common good back in fashion through the arts in order to positively impact the heart and spirit of the people," he added.
Four Latin Americans among the 20 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis
Aug. 28, 202202:09
Vitae Global is an international non-profit organization made up of various artists, executives and world leaders "whose mission is to transmit universal values that positively impact the hearts and spirits of people through the arts, mass media and entertainment" , they explain.
Following the meeting, event organizers will continue to carry out various initiatives around the world to spread the message about the importance of countering hate speech online.
Last November, Quinelli had a private meeting with Pope Francis in which he presented the pontiff with the foundation's work and the proposal that the Vatican host the first Cumbre de Vitae.