CNN
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A worldwide gathering of comedians was happening Friday in an unlikely venue: the Vatican.
Pope Francis hosted the equal of a “conclave of comedians” by inviting Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and others to Rome. Over 200 individuals had been within the viewers, with greater than 100 comedians from 15 international locations.
The 87-year-old pontiff is thought for his humorousness. He likes to crack jokes with individuals he meets, typically telling them with a smile: “please pray for me… not towards me!” He has repeatedly emphasised the significance of getting a humorousness, saying it’s one thing that he prays for every day.
“A humorousness lifts you up, it reveals your life is brief and to take issues within the spirit of a redeemer,” Francis as soon as mentioned in an interview. “It’s a human attribute, however it’s the closest to God’s grace.”
Francis’ assembly on Friday with “artists from the world of humor” is a part of his newest try to interact with modern tradition, with the Vatican explaining in a press release that the assembly underlines how the “artwork of comedy can contribute to a extra empathetic and supportive world.”
It follows on from his landmark go to to the Venice Biennale and his assembly final yr with artists and administrators within the Vatican. The assembly additionally comes with the pope dealing with query marks over his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics after reportedly utilizing a homophobic slur at non-public conferences.
Others from the US contingent embrace Tig Notaro, Jim Gaffigan with a number of Catholics amongst them: each Gaffigan and Colbert determine as Catholics whereas Fallon and O’Brien had been each raised within the Catholic Church. Additionally attributable to attend is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who informed CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that she had “no concept” what to anticipate.
Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit priest typically dubbed “The Colbert Report’s Chaplain,” was additionally attributable to attend the assembly and Colbert talked in regards to the upcoming papal viewers on his present.
“Pope Francis goes to satisfy me on the Vatican!” he joked. “Am I excited? Is the pope Catholic?”
Colbert then gave a jokey warning to Chris Rock, referring to the incident when Rock was hit by actor Will Smith throughout the Oscars.
“Chris, please for security’s sake I’d simply maintain Mary Magdalene’s identify out of your mouth. As a result of the pope wears an enormous ring!”
He additionally made reference to the controversy over the pope’s reported use of an anti-gay slur asking: “Why Pope Frankie, why?”
In the meantime, Whoopi Goldberg, the star of “Sister Act,” has already met the pope throughout an viewers within the Vatican final yr.
At that assembly, Goldberg mentioned she provided Francis a cameo in “Sister Act 3,” the movie collection a couple of singer who joins a convent.
