At The Vatican…

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 humor.

The pontiff invited more than 100 comedians, including big names like Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock for a meeting on June 14 to discuss comedy’s impact on culture. 

According to the Vatican, the purpose is to “establish a link” between the Catholic Church and the comedians.

There will be comedians from all over the world, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. The largest group, about two-thirds of the participants, will be from Italy. 

In the past, the Pope has acknowledged how comedy contributes to a more empathetic and sympathetic world. He once said he believed humorists, like actors, artists, cartoonists and writers, have “the ability to dream up new versions of the world” and often do so “with irony, which is a wonderful virtue.”

In a recent interview with Italy’s TV2000, he revealed he prays daily in the words of St. Thomas More, asking the Lord to grant him a sense of humor.