(JORGE ENRIQUE MÚJICA. Zenit).
Ten years after initiating his pontificate, Pope Francis continues having “first times.” During the second week of June, 2024, the Holy Father had “three first times,” with very different audiences: comedians, political leaders of the G7 and a group of top level bankers and businessmen. 104 comedians and a Jesuit priest (whom the Vatican called officially “humour artists”) went to a private audience with the Pontiff on Friday morning, June 14. The Pope gave them a very good speech on the art of laughter: he acknowledged their capacity to spread serenity and a smile, and said an axiom to them that many repeated to the press after leaving the audience: “when you are able to trigger intelligent smiles even if it’s only of one spectator — what I’ll say now isn’t a heresy! — you also make God smile. Leaving aside his prepared address, the Pope reminded them of a prayer to ask for a sense of humour (written by Saint Thomas More), which he himself has prayed for over 40 years. At the end, they all “prayed” it together. Seen that Friday 14th in the Vatican were 104 known faces of international comedy. But seen also was a face that it’s still not understood why he was invited, at least in the quality of comedian (unless what he does is considered precisely that, a comedy). We are referring to Jesuit James Martin, known LGBT+ activist, who a few days earlier, in the context of the anniversary of his priestly ordination, was able to have a private audience with the Pope. He had himself photographed in the audience, receiving the Pope’s blessing (allusion to Fiducia Supplicans? someone asked on Twitter) and, subsequently, he published the photo on the networks, saying that the Pope said he “has known many good seminarians and priests, holy and celibate, with homosexual tendencies. Once again, he confirmed my ministry with LGBTQ people and showed his openness and love for the LGBTQ community.”