Russell Crowe at beer-and-popcorn Vatican screening of new film

The Vatican treated its new police force recruits and Swiss Guard members to beer and popcorn on Monday (17 October) at a special screening and discussion of The Greatest Beer Run Ever. This was followed by a meeting of Russell Crowe, one of its stars.

Crowe was in Rome for the Rome Film Festival and dropped by the Vatican's tiny projection room, which holds only 50 people, to welcome the audience during two screenings.

Film is set in New York City, Vietnam in 1967. Based on John "Chickie", Donohue's true story, Donohue brought beer cans from his local watering hole to Vietnam to cheer up friends fighting in Vietnam.

Zac Efron plays Donohue, while Crowe portrays Arthur Coates, a hard-drinking war photographer. Bill Murray portrays a super-patriotic World War Two vet who runs the Inwood bar.

Father Andrew Small, a Vatican official who works for the Commission for the Protection of Minors (Vatican), organized the Vatican event. He made a cameo appearance as a neighbouring parish priest.

Small said: "I feel a kinship to the men here at the Vatican who are protecting ours and I thought inviting them and their friends to a movie was what you do when your want to be friendly."

The film's backdrop is the deep divisions in American families, drinking buddies, and society as a whole.

Donohue was also carrying a rosary from his neighbor mother to give her son in Vietnam, but he was killed before Donohue could find them.

Small visited Pope Francis' nearby home while the film was being projected. He blessed several dozen rosaries which were presented to the audience.

Crowe was later allowed to tour St. Peter's Basilica, where he was given a rare look at Michelangelo's Pieta. Crowe was also allowed to enter behind the bulletproof glass, which seals off a side chapel that is on display.

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Donohue, and not Donahue.

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