Angelina Jolie meets Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican after screening of her movie Unbroken

Angelina Jolie met Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday.

The Hollywood star had arrived in Rome, Italy the previous day amid rumours she would be meeting the leader of the Catholic Church.

However, although it was initially thought her husband Brad Pitt would also be in attendance at the special meet-and-greet, he was absent from the meeting.

The 39-year-old appeared thrilled as she shook hands with the pope after a screening of her new film and second directorial effort, Unbroken.

The pope was not present at the screening, but Angelina - the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - and two of her children met him briefly afterwards, a spokesman said.

A source revealed that both Angelina and Brad 'admire the ope' and 'like the pope's message' after he famously spoke about homosexuality in 2013, where he said: 'If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?'

Her meeting with the Pope comes just three months after the actress received an honorary Damehood from Queen Elizabeth II.