Antonio Banderas and his forceful defense of art before Pope Leo XIV: "it must be an alternative to violence"

The actor Antonio Banderas participated this Sunday in the meeting “Weaving networks with the world of culture, art, economy, and sport”, held at the Movistar Arena alongside Pope Leo XIV.

During his intervention, the performer defended the close relationship between the Church and artistic creation, asserting that “the church has been humanity's greatest producer of art” and highlighting its historical influence on culture. He also recalled that, according to him, “the most represented figure in art history has been Jesus Christ”.

At the close of his speech, he stated: “I am here today confessing to having been a victim of God's spell” and thanked the pontiff for organizing a meeting he considered “necessary” to bring together representatives of civil society.

Banderas also emphasized that art “is not just beauty, it is also questioning, reflection, contrast, and revolution” and argued that “it must be an alternative to violence. All violence”, words that were met with applause from the audience.

In his speech, the actor also wanted to assert the importance of the human in the face of advancing technology and machines, and stressed that “Artificial Intelligence must be at the service of human beings and not the other way around”.