Esteemed actor and director Robert Redford was found waiting in line to shake hands with Pope Francis at the pontiff’s audience this week.
The encounter took place on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, where Redford grasped Pope Francis’ hand with a grin. Then Redford, 83, said:
“Holy Father, my name is Robert Redford and I want to thank you for all you’ve done for the environment.”
Pope Francis thanked Redford for the sentiment, and asked him to, “Pray for me.” To which Redford responded, “I do.”
Redford has long been a fan of the pope. In 2015, he wrote a piece for MSNBC where he praised the pope’s efforts:
Pope Francis’ address to Congress will go down in history as a day when the needle finally moved on climate change. The pontiff’s timely message of more dialogue and less discord, respect for life in all of its stages, and a call to protect our common home was irrepressible and impossible to ignore. Sometimes you need a friend to tell you the truth. It took someone from outside the US to come and remind us who we are – and who we are supposed to be.
