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All of Stephen Colbert’s dreams came true as Pope Francis welcomed him — along with 106 other comedians and comic artists from around the world — to the Vatican for an audience on June 14. While the official list announcing the invitees included Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Tig Notaro, Chris Rock, and Conan O’ Brien, also in attendance to represent American comedy at the event were Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Birbiglia, and Ramy Youssef.
The pope addressed the gathered comedians and their guests for about ten minutes, saying they possess a “precious gift” and went on to add that “humor 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.” He then issued the directive that the comedians must “help us, with a smile, to see reality with its contradictions, and to dream of a better world.” Once he’d delivered this speech in Italian, the gathered entertainers lined up to shake his hand, giving us a brief glimpse at how each celebrity deals with meeting a pope who may only sort of know who they are, if at all.
Louis-Dreyfus seemed extremely excited to meet the pope. She recorded his entrance from the front row on her phone as she waved gleefully to him like he’d just nailed a tap routine at a “Little Miss” pageant.
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
After the event, she described the pope as “a wonderful man” with a “wonderful, kind smiling face.” If I had to guess, I think the pope does know who Julia Louis-Dreyfus is — you can’t be a man of the people without seeing Seinfeld at some point — and he seems as delighted to shake her hand as anyone with a Max subscription would be.
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
Obviously, this was a huge day for Colbert, one of America’s most beloved and least-threatening champions of Catholicism. If you know nothing else about Colbert, you’ll quickly learn how big a deal this was by the way he filmed the pope addressing the crowd from his seat in landscape mode, a mode we usually reserve for cinema.
He and his wife — complete in a black lace veil — were clearly moved by their chance to meet the Holy Father, with Colbert saying something to the pontiff that did amuse him. Afterward, without his glasses and with his eyes brimming with tears, Colbert gushed about how he’d just read the pope’s memoir and would love to do a cooking segment with him: “Evidently, he makes a great tortellini in brodo.” Perhaps that’s what he pitched during their handshake?
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Whoopi did not ask the pope to be in Sister Act 3 but clarified that she’ll “probably send an email.” It’s good to give people time to sit with big decisions like that. But ultimately, this whole day was old hat for Whoopi, who already got to meet Pope Francis on her own last year. They’re basically best friends at this point.
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Conan O’Brien must go … to a store in Rome immediately to buy a hat, because Italy in June is clearly a hostile climate for the Irish. O’Brien — who the pope will always remember as the tallest ginger man with a sunburn he ever did see — bowed to the pope like an upstanding gentleman, describing the experience to EWTN as “quite something.” He talked briefly about the use of having a “moral compass” in showbiz, saying he thinks his success can be attributed in part to having “pretty good manners.” He also said the pope gave him a rosary, which he plans to give to his mom — a very good boy indeed!
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Rock was just really, really happy to be there, whether the pope knows who he is or not. He shared a brief greeting and gave the pope an arm tap before stepping off to the side, where he proceeded to take a selfie with the pope (and Evelyn McGee-Colbert, wife of Stephen) in the background for his Instagram Story.
Photo: Chris Rock via Instagram
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
If anyone understands their place in the world and in this room, it’s Birbiglia, who carried the placard from his seat against his chest so the pope could see his name in large letters as he approached. Honestly, it’s a brilliant way to introduce yourself to the pope most likely to subscribe to your podcast.
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Several people brought gifts for the pope like drawings, paintings, and rocks(?). But I have a deep respect, maybe even a profound love, for this woman who just skipped the pope handshake entirely and immediately handed him a bottle of olive oil, which she then explained the significance of to him in great detail. May we all find a bottle of olive oil we love so much we have to bring it directly to the leader of the global Catholic church.
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Fallon had to follow the olive-oil lady, which is no good since the Holy Father was undoubtedly still reeling from that lady’s passion for the oil. But the look on the pope’s face when Fallon greeted him suggests that the late-night host did manage to charm the pontiff with his trademark messy hair and “aw, shucks” demeanor. Good for him!
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Gaffigan knew better than to try and chat with the pope, instead turning straight to the camera for the photo. The pope also clearly loved seeing kids in this mostly adult-filled line, and Gaffigan brought two.
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
He and his sons wore matching seersucker for the occasion, and each boy had their own rosary for the pope to bless. Later, Gaffigan shouted out brand Rag & Bone on social media for supplying his pope-meeting digs. No one on earth is more ready to meet a pope than a Gaffigan.
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
Merchant was not part of the American delegation, but the fact that he was here at all is extremely amusing. He greeted the pope so quickly, you have to assume he was bracing for whatever his friend Ricky Gervais will have to say about this when he gets back.
Photo: EWTN via YouTube
It’s clear from this interaction that the pope’s second-favorite thing — after seeing a child — is seeing a plant. He loved getting this plant! And who could blame him? Plants make great gifts for everyone but especially people who have a full staff and lots of natural light.
