Vatican City: Before flying to Italy’s southern Puglia region to meet world leaders at the Group of Seven summit, Pope Francis hosted a very different audience at the Vatican on Friday celebrating the importance of humour.
The pontiff welcomed more than 100 comedians from 15 nations, including celebrities Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien.
Pope Francis faces Stephen Colbert and Chris Rock, among others.Credit: X/EWTN/Colm Flynn
“In the midst of so much gloomy news, immersed as we are in many social and even personal emergencies, you have the power to spread peace and smiles,” Francis told the comedians.
“You unite people, because laughter is contagious,” he continued, asking jokingly, “Please pray for me: for, not against!”
Francis pointed out that in the creation, “Divine wisdom practised your art for the benefit of none other than God himself, the first spectator in history”, with God delighting in the works that he had made.
“Remember this,” he added. “When you manage to bring intelligent smiles to the lips of even a single spectator, you also make God smile.”
Francis also said it was OK to “laugh at God” in the same way “we play and joke with the people we love”.
The meeting came about after a papal outreach to the world of culture.