Pope gives awards to top Hollywood stars

Clooney attended the event with his wife Amal, a lawyer.

Pope Francis meets U.S. actor Richard Gere and his girlfriend Alejandra Silva during a meeting of the Scholas Occurrentes at the Vatican, May 29, 2016. Osservatore Romano/ Handout via REUTERS — Pope Francis meets U.S. actor Richard Gere and his girlfriend Alejandra Silva during a meeting of the Scholas Occurrentes at the Vatican, May 29, 2016.

Pope Francis poses for a selfie picture during a meeting of the Scholas Occurrentes at the Vatican, May 29, 2016. Osservatore Romano/ Handout via REUTERS — Pope Francis poses for a selfie picture during a meeting of the Scholas Occurrentes at the Vatican, May 29, 2016.-Reuters

The foundation, whose name means “schools that meet” in Spanish, links technology with the arts, aiming at social integration and a cultural of peace.

Francis had created a similar organization when he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, but Scholas has now become an international foundation working out of the Vatican.

“Important values can be transmitted by celebrities,” said one of the organizers, Lorena Bianchetti, adding that the actors had agreed to be ambassadors for one of the foundation’s arts projects.