“It was like a meeting of every poorly behaved kid in church.” This is how Jim Gaffigan jokingly described to reporters, including Aleteia, Pope Francis' meeting with a group of 107 comedians and entertainers, within the frescoed walls of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on the morning of June 14, 2024.
“Everyone had ants in their pants and then they were excited. [...] It was amazing, [...] the Pope is very approachable,” said Gaffigan, who came to this audience with two of his sons. “Now you have to become a priest!” he joked to one of them, as his son showed journalists the rosary the Pontiff blessed for him.
In a joyful atmosphere, the Pope made several jokes himself as he met with 107 comedians and entertainers from 15 different countries at the Vatican, in an event organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Communications. He gave a speech and then individually greeted all those present. From the US there was Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock and several more.
Laughter is contagious
“When you manage to draw knowing smiles from the lips of even one spectator, you also make God smile,” the Pontiff told his audience. “Can we laugh also at God? Of course, we can, and this isn’t blasphemy, we can laugh, just as we play and joke with the people we love. [...] It is possible to do this without offending the religious sentiments of believers, especially the poor.”
“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. You are among the few who have the ability to speak to all types of people, from different generations and cultural backgrounds,” the Pope said. “In your own way, you unite people, because laughter is contagious.”
Comedians share their experience of meeting the Pope
“I still don’t know why comedians are here at the Vatican today; I am very grateful that we are,” Stephen Colbert joked after the audience. He said he exchanged some words with the Pontiff in Italian to thank him for the meeting and to tell him that he had done the voice recording for the English audiobook version of Francis’ latest interview-memoir Life: My Story Through History.
“I know a lot about him because I read his memoir. I would love to interview him but I really want to do a cooking segment with him. He talks a lot about cooking, evidently he makes a great 'tortellini in brodo' [an Italian pasta with meat inside served in a broth],” Colbert said as he laughed.
“A lot of these other American comedians have been my friends for years, […] we are all looking at each other and thinking, something is wrong, we are in this beautiful space in the Vatican and for some reason they have let comedians in, which is always a mistake,” joked Conan O’Brien of the meeting, saying the Pope had a “good sense of humor.”
He said he greeted Francis quickly but explained it was not “like Santa Claus where you sit on his lap and talk about what you want for Christmas.”
“It was quick but it was a wonderful experience and to be in the Vatican and see this is quite extraordinary,” he added. Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg simply described the experience as "amazing."
“Comedians are silly but they are also very sincere. They have got a healthy ego so it’s like, the Pope wants to meet me? Why not right?” said Gaffigan.
Being a Catholic comedian
In his speech the Pope also reflected on what it means to be a comedian.
“You manage to make people smile even while dealing with problems and events, large and small. You denounce abuses of power; you give voice to forgotten situations; you highlight abuses; you point out inappropriate behavior. You do this without spreading alarm or terror, anxiety or fear, as other types of communication tend to do; you rouse people to think critically by making them laugh and smile.”
Jim Gaffigan shared what his experience has been like being a Catholic comedian. “The most punk rock thing you can do is be a comedian that even admits that they believe in God, and then to be Catholic you are asking for trouble,” he said.
However, he highlighted that some subjects are “universal,” so even an “agnostic or an atheist” can "embrace" a humorous act on, for example, Moses or Abraham.
“My religious material is not making fun of God or making fun of people that are of a certain belief. It is like making fun of humans, [...] it is just human stupidity that is behind most of my material,” he said.
In fact in his speech Pope Francis reflected on a type of genuine humor that “does not offend, humiliate, or put people down according to their flaws. While communication today often generates conflict, you know how to bring together diverse and sometimes contrary realities. [...] The laughter of humor is never 'against' anyone, but is always inclusive, purposeful, eliciting openness, sympathy, empathy."
"Be sure to pray to the Lord and ask for a sense of humor,” the Pope said.
After his speech he asked an Italian entertainer, Lucian Littizzetto, to read a prayer by St. Thomas More that he has cited often that says “Lord, give me a sense of humor.”
