‘They’ve let comedians in, which is always a bad idea! Always!,’ jokes Conan O’Brien to Vatican News and other reporters, on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ unforgettable audience with comedians, as he expresses a collective sense of gratitude felt by him and the other famous US comedians present.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
After the entertaining audience that Pope Francis held with some of the world’s most well-known comedians and household names, they admit they were incredulous during the encounter in the Sala Clementina with the Successor of Peter, and ultimately, very grateful.
Speaking to Vatican News and journalists after the encounter, Conan O’Brien joked as he cautioned how risky it is to gather that many comedians together, especially in a privileged place.
“It happens again and again and again, the times that I have been to the White House or in any of these situations, it’s always the same thing: I say, ‘Why am I here? I do not belong,’ and I think that is how a lot of us felt!”
All incredulous
“A lot of these other American comedians have been my friends for years, Stephen Colbert, Chris Rock, and Jimmy Fallon,” he said. “I have known these guys for a long time, Jim Gaffigan, Julia Louis Dreyfus…, and we were all looking at each other,” he said smiling, “like ‘something’s wrong.'”
“We are in this beautiful, beautiful space in the Vatican, and for some reason, they have let comedians in, which is always a bad idea! Always!” he joked.
“We are in this beautiful, beautiful space in the Vatican, and for some reason, they have let comedians in, which is always a bad idea! Always”
Pope Francis with comedians
Julia Louis Dreyfus, famous for her role in the sitcom Seinfeld, likewise shared her emotion. “What a wonderful man. It is quite evident,” she observed, noting “his wonderful, kind smiling face.”
‘Delighted to be here’
“And I thought his comments were beautiful, actually,” she continued, adding, I was delighted to be here.”
“I thought his comments were beautiful, actually,” she continued, adding, I was delighted to be here”
Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg likewise passed through by the journalists expressing their delight to be with the Pope at such an unprecedented venue.
When Whoopi was asked whether she had asked Pope Francis to be part of a ‘Sister Act III,’ she joked that she hadn’t, but would likely send an email.
Stephen Colbert also reflected on the audience with the Pope, noting that while he was following an English version of the text, he was especially intrigued to understand what the Pope had added in Italian. While Jim Gaffigan, a Catholic comedian, whose sons had a moment with the Pope and received a papal blessing of their rosaries, as well as a chocolate praline, was really moved to be at such a ‘universal’ encounter.
He acknowledged to the reporters that with great differences, especially among the US comedians, several of whom, he noted, are agnostic or atheists, to be together in an atmosphere “of warmth and openness,” with Pope Francis, “was really amazing.”
Pope Francis meeting comedians
