Can you laugh at everything? This is an important social debate. This Friday, Pope Francis received about a hundred comedians from around the world for a short break before they head to the G7 summit. While he didn’t answer the question, he expressed his opinion about jokes about God.
Pope Francis arrived in the middle of the day in Puglia, in southern Italy, during a session devoted artificially to a summit of the heads of state and government of the seven richest nations, a first for a pope – in the middle of the day. Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This Friday morning, in front of his comic audience, the 87-year-old pontiff stuck his thumb in his right ear and wiggled his fingers, prompting laughter and applause: “Instead of talking, I do this“, he said with a smile.
American comedians Hubby Goldberg (“Sister Act”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld”), Chris Rock And Jimmy Fallon Frenchman Manu Payet was also there, but most of them came from Italy. Some came from Ireland, Colombia, Germany, and one even from far-flung East Timor, where Francis will visit in September.
“Can you laugh at God?“, the Pope told the artists before offering his own answer: “Of course, when we play and joke with the people we love“. However, he was quick to immediately qualify this apparent green light: “We can, but without offending the religious sensibilities of believers“.
The Pope also praised the positive social role of comedians on Friday: “You have the power to spread peace and smiles“.”Your talent is a precious gift, because with a smile it spreads peace in people’s hearts, thus helping them overcome difficulties and withstand daily stress.“, he encouraged them.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”