YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: After two failed attempts, the Hollywood star Russell Crowe has finally met with Pope Francis and had the Holy Father's blessing for his latest film Noah. Armenpress reports, citing the Daily Mail that Crowe, 49, had a brief meeting with the Pontiff and the pair were able to have a short discussion. The actor said of his audience with the Pope: ‘The Holy Father showed a great level of consistency with the things he’s been saying and things he’s been doing...It was an incredible privilege to be invited’.

'Given the amount of controversy surrounding this film, and has been surrounding it for a year now, the fact we were invited to the Vatican was extremely kind.'

The star of the upcoming Biblical epic originally reached out to Francis over Twitter, but both of his scheduled meetings with The Pope in the past week were called-off at the last minute.

Last Wednesday Crowe attended the Pope's weekly general address at the Vatican - Variety magazine claimed a meeting between Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore, director Darren Aronofsky and Crowe was tentatively scheduled. However, according to the movie company the Vatican cancelled, saying Crowe’s appearance would be too disruptive.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Francis' brief meeting with the actor may have happened later that night. This is seemingly confirmed by Crowe, who on Twitter that night wrote 'ciao Roma, my love for your eternal light just grows deeper. Thank you holy father Pontifex for the blessing.'

Crowe originally made contact to Francis over social media; 'Holy Father, it would be my deepest pleasure to bring the film to you,’ he wrote on Twitter, offering the Pontiff a private screening of Noah.

Pope Francis was reportedly all set to meet Crowe and the film’s makers during his weekly audience which is attended by the general public. But it was cancelled last week after news of the meeting – and photo opportunity – was leaked. Crowe's attendance of Francis' address was his second attempt at procuring a private council. The actor has been at the frontlines of the media storm that Noah has cooked up. The film met with criticism in test screenings with members of the Jewish and Christian faith having issues with the content. The film's release has also been blocked by censors in Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. 

Crowe said: 'To be frank, given that it is a tenet of the Muslim religion that you can’t make stories or render images about the Prophet, it was not unexpected that some Islamic nations would ban the film.'