“Ready to box?”: this was the meeting of Pope Francis with Sylvester Stallone in the Vatican

He Pope Francisco received the American actor and filmmaker in audience at the Vatican today Sylvester Stallonewho went with his entire family to a meeting marked by good humor.

“We have grown up with his films,” The pontiff told Stallone, world famous for playing characters like “Rocky” and “Rambo”, who smiled gratefully and, by way of response, joked with him: “Ready to box?” he asked, clenching his fists, a gesture that Francis also repeated, according to the images published by the “Vatican News” site.

Stallone, 77, arrived at the Vatican accompanied by his partner Jennifer, his three daughters and his brother Frank.

The actor has received these days the keys and the honorary citizenship of Gioia del Colle in Bari (southern Italy), the town from which his grandparents left for the United States, and went out to celebrate on the balcony of the City Hall with a scarf from the club of Bari football, according to local media.

The actor had already been to the Vatican last year, when he was able to visit the Sistine Chapel, whose images he posted on his social networks.