In an effort to “establish a link” between the comedians and the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis initiated a summit-style gathering with more than 100 comedians.
Comedians who were there to honor the value of comedy and laughter included Conan O’Brien, Jim Gaffiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Pope Francis told the comedians on Friday, “You bring people together because laughter is contagious. Can we also make fun of God? Naturally, it’s not heresy; we can laugh and play with the people we care about”.
Humor, he continued, “does not insult, degrade, or put people down according to their flaws.” He cited “Jewish wisdom and literary tradition” as examples of humor done well.
According to the New York Times and BBC, Pope Francis stated, “In the midst of so much depressing news, you denounce abuses of power, you give voice to forgotten situations, you highlight abuses, you point out inappropriate behavior.”
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The Pope continued by praising the comedians for their work in promoting “peace and smiles” and encouraging viewers to “think critically.”
Speaking to the gathering, Pope Francis discussed one of comedy’s “miracles”.
The Pope remarked, “Even when dealing with problems and events, large and small, you manage to make people smile. You call attention to inappropriate behavior, you denounce abuses of power, and you give voice to forgotten situations. Keep this in mind,” he said. “You also make God smile when you are able to make even one observer smile intelligently.”
This meeting took place just hours before the Pope was scheduled to attend the renowned Group of Seven Summit in Apulia, in the southeast of Italy.
Pope Francis is the first pope to speak at the summit since it was first organized in 1975.
Additionally, this gathering took place just a few days after the Pope faced criticism and even issued an apology for using a derogatory term to refer to gay people.