Pope Francis meets 100-plus comedians. Here’s why he told them it’s OK to ‘laugh at God’

“How did this happen? Why are we here and when are they going to throw us out?”

Those are the questions Conan O’Brien contemplated as he joined scores of other comedy stars to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday. “To be in that room and to be with all my fellow comedians … in that environment was quite strange,” he told the Associated Press.

Pope Francis gathered more than 100 comedians from 15 nations on Friday to celebrate the need for humor before he met with world leaders at the Group of 7 summit in Puglia, Italy. Other American comedians in attendance included Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stephen Colbert.

Francis reminded his guests of their talent to bring joy amid “gloomy” news events and social and personal tribulations. “You have the power to spread peace and smiles,” he said.

He continued: “You unite people, because laughter is contagious … please pray for me — for, not against!”

The 87-year-old pontiff entertained the entertainers days after facing renewed backlash for reportedly uttering a vulgar term against gay people, again. The Italian news agency ANSA reported Wednesday that Francis used an Italian term for homosexuality during a closed-door meeting with Roman priests.

In late May, Francis apologized after he was quoted using the same derogatory term to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.

“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a May statement.

Francis seemingly left that controversy behind him Friday as he praised the scores of comedians, telling them that by making audiences laugh, “you also make God smile.” He also reassured his guests that it’s OK to “laugh at God,” likening it to playing and joking with “the people we love.”

Beyond his address, Francis’ time with the comedians was short and speedy, as O’Brien and Goldberg noted in interviews with AP. O’Brien clarified that he did not engage in a “long, deep conversation with the Pope” and joked that “he might’ve just angrily chided me” in Italian.”

Goldberg said the moment “made me happy,” while Colbert said he flexed his Italian language skills with the pontiff. He said he told Francis in Italian that he was one of the audiobook narrators of the pope’s memoir “Life,” published in March. In response Francis held his hand and just nodded his head, Colbert said.

“It was wonderful,” he added. “He’ll never forget me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.