Before going to the G7, Pope Francis met around a hundred comedians (including a Frenchman)

VATICAN – A rather unexpected group. Pope Francis met this Friday, June 14 with around a hundred comedians, gathered at the Vatican for the occasion. Among the American superstars there was also a personality well known to the French: Manu Payet.

Before going to the G7 summit on Friday afternoon for a session devoted to artificial intelligence, the sovereign pontiff took advantage of a moment of lightness in the morning by receiving a hundred comedians from around fifteen different countries . Among them in particular, the Frenchman Manu Payet, who came accompanied by his mother. In the photo captured by the Vatican and shared by AFP, to see at the top of this articlewe can see the comedian small on the left, in front of the large open window.

A moment of emotion for the radio and television presenter. “ Today his words have made our fantasy intelligent, necessary. It’s very touching “he told AFP. “It was both very formal and at the same time quite relaxed”, he described. He also noticed “a kind of respectful irreverence that is quite pretty and very moving” and was marked by the “modernity” from the pope. He offered the latter a map of Reunion Island, where he is from, as you can see in the photo below, shared by the correspondent of The cross at the Vatican.

The social importance of comedians

Two other French people were announced at this meeting, the comedian Redouane Bougheraba and the actor François Cluzet. However, they were not visible in the photos consulted by HuffPost. According to The Independentthey were not present.

Manu Payet participated in this meeting alongside some world-famous American colleagues such as Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld), Chris Rock and Jimmy Fallon. Most of the personalities present, however, came from Italy, joined by others from Ireland, Colombia, Germany, one of them even arriving from East Timor where the pope is due to go in September.

The event aimed to establish a link between the Catholic Church and comedians, according to Vatican News. “The art of comedy can contribute to a more empathetic and more united world”explained the Holy See in a press release.

The 87-year-old pope took care to adapt to his audience, and did not fail to make jokes. In front of a ready-made audience, he stuck his thumb in his right ear and wiggled his fingers, a gesture that provoked laughter and applause: “Instead of the speech, I do this”he said, smiling.

The Pope took the opportunity to support the positive social role of comedians: “You have the power to spread serenity and smile”, did he declare. “Your talent is a precious gift because with a smile, it spreads peace in the hearts of people, thus helping us to overcome difficulties and bear daily stress”he encouraged them.

Freedom of expression at the heart of the debate

On a more serious note, the pope also addressed the subject of freedom of expression: “Can we laugh at God? »he told the artists, before giving his own response: “Certainly, how we play and joke with the people we love”. However, he was quick to immediately qualify this apparent green light: “We can do it but without offending the religious feelings of the faithful”.

A position with particular resonance given the shock caused by his statements in 2015 after the jihadist attack which had just decimated the editorial staff of the satirical, atheist and anticlerical weekly. Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Asked about the freedom of expression of cartoonists after the bloody attack, he replied: “If a great friend speaks badly about my mother, he can expect a punch, and that’s normal. We cannot provoke, we cannot insult the faith of others, we cannot make fun of it! »

Statements which were interpreted at the time as a quasi-justification of the attack since its authors wanted to punish the journalists for having published caricatures of the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

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