Patrick Kielty meets the Pope in audience to celebrate ‘precious gift’ of comedians

Mr Kielty, along with fellow entertainers Tommy Tiernan and Ardal O’Hanlon were among a group of around 100 comedians who met with Pope Francis.

The “conclave of comedians” also included Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien.

The Vatican said the meeting was to “celebrate the beauty of human diversity… [and] promote a message of peace, love and solidarity”. It also said it promised “to be a moment of meaningful intercultural dialogue and sharing of joy and hope.”

The audience was organised by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education and Dicastery for Communication.

According to the Vatican News, Pope Francis told the comedians they are in possession of “a precious gift,” that can spread peace “within hearts and between peoples, helping us to overcome difficulties and cope with daily stress.”

The Holy Father went on to highlight another “miracle” of comedians, the ability to make people smile even when tackling serious issues. “You denounce the excesses of power, give voice to forgotten situations, highlight abuses, point out inappropriate behaviour… but without spreading alarm and terror, anxiety or fear,” he told them.

Pope Francis pointed out that in creation, “Divine Wisdom practised your art for the benefit of none other than God Himself, the first spectator in history,” with God delighting in the works that he had made.

“Remember this,” he told comedians. “When you manage to bring intelligent smiles to the lips of even a single spectator, you also make God smile.”

Thinking and speaking with a sense of humour helps us understand and get a sense of human nature, he said. Humour “does not offend, does not humiliate, does not ‘nail’ people to their faults,” Pope Francis added. Unlike other forms of communication, he argued, humour is “never ‘against’ anyone, but is always inclusive and proactive, and arouses openness, sympathy, and empathy.

In fact, the Pope said, “we can even laugh at God, just as we play and joke with those we love.”

But, he said, this must be done without offending the religious feelings of believers, especially the poor.”

Pope Francis concluded his address by blessing those present and their art.

“Continue to cheer people up, especially those who find it hardest to look at life with hope,” he said.

“Help us, with a smile, to see reality with its contradictions, and to dream of a better world!”

The meeting took place before His Holiness headed to Puglia for the G7 leaders’ summit.

Ardal O’Hanlon, who grew up in Carrickmacross, famously played Fr Dougal Maguire in Channel 4’s cult classic Father Ted. His character questioned the Catholic religion as a whole and at one point forgot he was a priest.

And in Tommy Tiernan’s first appearance on The Late Late Show in 1997, his controversial routine based on the crucifixion caused hundreds of complaints to flood in for the Irish state broadcaster.

Some considered the stand-up performance by the Carndonagh man to be blasphemous. He won the Perrier Prize at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1998 with a routine largely based on his experiences following the broadcast.