Julia Louis-Dreyfus tells Jimmy Kimmel about meeting the Pope: “It’s OK to laugh at God”

For fans of Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is comedy royalty but even that lofty states pales in comparison to that of God’s representative on Earth.

Last year, Louis-Dreyfus was one of 100 comedians who took part in a ‘conclave of comedians’ that met with Pope Francis in June 2024. The likes of Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Chris Rock were also included in the event and Louis-Dreyfus recalled the experience on an interview with Jimmy Kimmel this week.

She was a part of the group of comedians from all across the world who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The actress revealed that she initially thought the offer to meet the head of the Catholic Church was some sort of a scam, but after being convinced of its legitimacy she jumped at the chance.

“It was so otherworldly” she began. “I did meet the Pope and he spoke about comedy and the spirituality of comedy. He said that there’s laughter in the Bible. I don’t know, I’m not a Bible expert.”

“He talked about how comedy can bring people together. And that it’s ok to laugh at God. He actually said that,” Dreyfus continued, before letting out a light-hearted chuckle.

Since the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21 there have been countless stories of meetings with the spiritual leader that focus on his human side.

French President Emmanuel Macron described Pope Francis as someone who ″was at the sides of the most vulnerable, the most fragile, with a lot of humility, and in these times of war and instability, with a particular sense of the other, of the most fragile."

The Dalai Lama praised Pope Francis for having “dedicated himself to the service of others, consistently revealing by his own actions how to live a simple, but meaningful life.”

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