Pope Francis Invites Oprah, Ari Emanuel to the Vatican

Pope Francis Invites Oprah, Ari Emanuel to the Vatican

The pontiff has shortlisted Hollywood heavy-hitters for a special meeting at the Vatican this fall. The topic? Improving the church's portrayal in Western entertainment.

Ari Emanuel might soon get a chance to hug it out with the pope.

Sources say the William Morris Endeavor superagent and his co-CEO Patrick Whitesell are on a shortlist of media players whom reps for Pope Francis have approached for a special meeting at the Vatican this fall.

The pontiff apparently is interested in discussing how the church is perceived by Western media influencers and ways to improve its portrayal in entertainment. The Vatican, which is said to be working with the nonprofit Varkey Foundation, came up with a list of Hollywood players to invite to a summit of sorts. Film and television producer Brian Grazer, OWN mogul Oprah Winfrey, actor Matt Damon and semiretired supermogul David Geffen also scored invites, according to sources.

WME declined to comment on whether Emanuel, the brother of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and the inspiration for Entourage's Ari Gold, would accept the invitation to break bread with the Catholic Church leader.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pope-francis-invites-oprah-ari-813032

[TBC: It was in the 1980s that the Mormon church (LDS) hired an advertising agency to remake its "image." More recently in 2011 "Top Mormon leaders had hired two big-name advertising agencies in 2009, Ogilvy & Mather and Hall & Partners, to find out what Americans think of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/us/mormon-ad-campaign-seeks-to-improve-perceptions.html). The Jehovah's Witnesses have also sought to "rebrand" themselves in the last two decades. It has been reported that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society letterhead which simply said "Watchtower" at the top, was changed in the early 1990s on the advice of an advertising agency to read, “Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”  All congregations were instructed to identify themselves so while also changing their letterhead. It is not surprising for Rome to follow the same trend. Yet, while "many Catholics are troubled by the marketing emphasis of the Protestant 'Mega Church movement," it is admitted that "few realize the Church actually invented rebranding starting with the way the public views the Cross" (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-catholics-invented-rebranding-joseph-serwach).

Consequently, it is not surprising that Francis is following the same path. Scripture, however, reminds us that for true believers there is no rebranding. Rather, Paul reminds us in Romans:12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
See All... to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."]