The actor and Pope Francis met in January 2016 for a conversation about climate change for the documentary ‘Before the Flood’

Pope Francis and Leonardo DiCaprio on Jan. 28, 2016. Photo: Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty

Leonardo DiCaprio is among those paying tribute to Pope Francis after his death at 88.

The Oscar winner — who met with Francis in 2016 to discuss the urgency of climate change for his documentary Before the Flood — shared photos from that meeting on Instagram after the Vatican announced his death.

“Pope Francis was a transformational leader — not only for the Catholic Church, but also for environmental reform and activism,” DiCaprio, 50, wrote in the caption.

The actor referenced a 2015 letter Francis sent to churches around the world known as an encyclical that demonstrated Francis’ “deep and unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship” in the post.

“This powerful document served as a clarion call for a fundamental shift in how we relate to the planet,” DiCaprio wrote. “Emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life, Pope Francis urged individuals, communities, institutions, and world leaders to unite in caring for our common home. His words helped catalyze momentum ahead of the global 2015 COP21 conference, ultimately contributing to the formation of the Paris Agreement.”

“During the filming of my documentary Before the Flood in 2016, I had the honor of sitting down with Pope Francis for a conversation on the urgent need to address climate change,” DiCaprio added. “That experience was enlightening, deeply moving and thought provoking.”

The Don’t Look Up actor referenced another encyclical Francis wrote regarding the climate crisis in 2023 as he described the late pope as “one of the most extraordinary spiritual leaders of our time.”

Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and Pope Francis on Jan. 28, 2016. Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty

“His legacy will continue to inspire generations of environmentalists around the world. May he rest in peace,” DiCaprio wrote.

DiCaprio highlighted his meeting with Francis in Before the Flood to denote that a Catholic Pope had accepted the scientific theories behind the climate crisis for the first time. “Being able to spend time and sit with the pope was a pretty profound experience,” he said in the movie, as PEOPLE reported at the time.

Other stars who’ve met with Francis shared tributes on social media Monday, including Sylvester Stallone, who wrote that he was a “wonderful, wonderful man! Rest in peace holy father,” and Whoopi Goldberg, who wrote, “He was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ’s love enveloped believer and none believer.”