Pope Francis to attend first-ever ‘Vitae’ Summit in the Vatican

By Devin Watkins

The Vatican announced on Friday that the Vitae Global Foundation will hold its first summit meeting at the Casina Pio IV on 31 August and 1 September.

Pope Francis is expected to take part in a portion of the summit, which also enjoys the support of Queen Sofia of Spain.

A press statement said internationally-renowned artists and entertainers will gather to discuss how to “leverage the arts, media, and entertainment to trigger a cultural transformation that promotes the common good, universal values, and an encounter between people.”

Inspiring hope, unity, diversity

Artists, actors, actresses, and musicians will hold meetings to share their thoughts on strategies and creative proposals to advance the goal of inspiring a change in the world.

Unity, hope, and the appreciation of diversity are among the main goals of the change which the summit aims to inspire.

The founder and president of the Vitae Foudation, Luis Quinelli, has held several meetings with Pope Francis in recent years, along with members of the organization’s leadership team.

The Pope has often spoken about the role of artist in improving society, saying they act as “guardians of beauty, ambassadors of a culture of encounter, and witnesses of hope for all humanity.”

Creating a better world

Mr. Quinelli said the summit hopes to highlight the work of various organizations and individuals toward improving culture.

“In a polarized society charged with negative messages and conflicts,” he said, “the Vitae Foundation has set out to unite artists and influential global leaders to start a conversation on how to bring hope and the common good back into fashion through the arts, in order to positively impact people’s hearts and spirits.”

The Argentine-born founder of Vitae added that the event will also help create a network among artists geared toward working together to craft a message that will “inspire us toward a better world, based on the universal values that foster encounter and hope.”

About the Vitae Foundation

The Vitae Global Foundation is a non-profit organization made up of artists, executives, and world leaders who aim to make a positive impact on people through the arts, mass media, and entertainment.

According to the foundation, Vitae has promoted various cultural projects and initiatives in recent years which have “positively impacted hundreds of thousands of people around the world, generating multiple points of rapprochement, and embracing differences to combat the polarization and hatred that threatens today’s society.”