Pope meets comedians

Pope Francis hosted an audience at the Vatican last week celebrating the importance of humor. The pontiff welcomed more than 100 comedians from 15 nations, including U.S. celebrities Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien. “You have the power to spread peace and smiles,” Francis told the comedians. “You unite people, because laughter is contagious.”

Class discussion: Pope Francis also said it was OK to “laugh at God” in the same way “we play and joke with the people we love.” Do you think it is OK to “laugh at God” in this way? Why or why not? Should religious leaders display a sense of humor? Or, should they maintain a stern seriousness about enforcing religious beliefs and traditions? Can they do both? Do you believe that joking about religion is some kind of blasphemy?