AssetID: 53856373
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon meet Pope Francis
Caption: Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon meet Pope Francis. The pontiff held an audience with more than 100 comedians from 15 countries inside the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City on Friday morning, hours before he was expected in Puglia for the G7 summit. Goldberg and Fallon were joined by Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Merchant and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others. In his speech, which was later published online, the 87-year-old told the comedians they had "the power to spread peace and smiles" and "unite people" in dark times because "laughter is contagious”. He also told them that it was OK to make jokes about God. ”Can we laugh at God? Of course, we can, just as we play and joke with the people we love. It is possible to do this without offending the religious sentiments of believers, especially the poor.” Concluding his speech, the head of the Catholic Church said: ”Dear friends, may God bless you and your art. Continue to cheer people up, especially those who have the hardest time looking at life with hope.” “Help us, with a smile, to see reality with its contradictions, and to dream of a better world! With heartfelt sentiments, I bless you; and I ask you, please, to pray for me.” Pope Francis then shook hands and exchanged a few words with every person in the room. Speaking to Reuters after the audience, O'Brien quipped, "Well it was brief, he spoke in Italian, so I'm not quite sure what was said. It was quick... I had a wonderful time.” Goldberg, who described the meeting as "great", told reporters that she did not ask the Pope to be in her nun-based comedy Sister Act 3. ”I didn't think it was the right place to bring it up, but I'll probably send an email.” THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Whoopi Goldberg,Jimmy Fallon,Pope Francis,The Pope,Chris Rock,Stephen Colbert,Conan O'Brien,Stephen Merchant,Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Sister Act 3,Sister Act
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