Pope meets Jimmy Fallon and 105 other comics at Vatican
Pope Francis has met with more than 100 comedians from across the world, including Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg, at the Vatican in Rome.
The Pope said comedians have the "power to spread serenity and smiles" in a world where people are immersed in "many social and personal emergencies".
"You unite people because laughter is contagious," he added.
The entertainers were hosted in the Vatican hours before the pontiff was ex... morePope meets Jimmy Fallon and 105 other comics at Vatican
Pope Francis has met with more than 100 comedians from across the world, including Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg, at the Vatican in Rome.
The Pope said comedians have the "power to spread serenity and smiles" in a world where people are immersed in "many social and personal emergencies".
"You unite people because laughter is contagious," he added.
The entertainers were hosted in the Vatican hours before the pontiff was expected in Puglia for the G7 summit.
During the audience with 107 comedians from 15 countries, the Pope praised their ability to make people smile.
"You can also laugh at God, of course, and that's not blasphemy," the pontiff told comedians, adding that "it can be done without offending the religious feelings of believers".