Conan Met The Pope At The Vatican | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

not that long ago like 2 and a half 3. weeks ago believe I'm in New York and I. get a text message from the very funny. uh comedian Jim Gaffigan and it says uh. can I call you which you know I know Jim. but it's not like we're we talk a lot or. anything so that I was a little freaked. out in the moment like you thought you. in trouble well I thought he said can I. call you and then your mind races and I. thought um maybe uh you know maybe Jim. needs money.

uh you know what's going on did did I do. something so I call him and uh he. basically says that the Vatican is. interested in inviting a bunch of. comedians uh to meet with the Pope Jim. gavagan was one of the point people. because he is a a good Catholic fellow. Steven colar also uh was was calling. people so the next thing I know uh I I. think well you you have this chance to. go to the Vatican meet the pope this.

sounds cool so uh I say well I'm in. let's let's we got to do this let's go. how much advanced notice did you have. not a lot a couple of weeks but not much. so uh maybe two and a half maybe three. weeks maybe three weeks maybe you don't. need to prep you just show up yeah. exactly every time I've met the Pope I. haven't prepared so anyway uh we get. ourselves to Rome my wife and I and my. son came along as well and um um we it.

was fun because we all had kind of a. dinner the night before we got to hang. out a bunch of us not all of us but a. bunch of us uh which was just nice to. get to hang with with with some of these. people and talk about what is going to. happen but then the next day we show up. they said be there really early and I'm. mentioning things that I'm sure Stephen. will have talked about this and you know. but my experience was the first thing. they said is be at the Vatican at 6:45. and I'm like am a.m. and I said.

6:45. no um and also I think the sense I got. is that this Pope gets up really early. and uh that's immediately because I've. I've toyed with the idea of being poke. but this this was a kill this killed it. immediately he works out probably in the. morning I think he works out I think. he's uh riding his bicycle all around. Rome he goes to the market to see which. fish is in.

um in his Pope in his Pope hat yeah and. so he's you know whatever he's he's up. really early and I think we were not the. first thing in his day other stuff had. already happened so we all show up they. take us into the Vatican and uh I mean I. think people know this by now but whoopy. Goldberg Julia Louie drus Steven colar. uh TIG nataro David Sedaris Jimmy. Fallon uh self Chris Rock Mike.

biglia and Steven Merchant who's. hilarious Steven Merchant was there and. I identify with him because he's like. six7 and mostly leg um and so we fought. each other with our legs uh which is fun. and then the pope broke it up knock it. off with the legs got it out you two uh. so they bring us into this room and then. is he even Italian yeah no you know what. it is he's uh he's he's from Argentina. but he speaks Italian because I think he. grew up speaking Italian so it's okay.

what it it sounds it's okay to slander. him that way I'm not slandering him I'm. doing an impression of what he sounds. like it was like I'm making a pizza by. in Argentina and so anyway it's a me. Mario it's a me Mario and I was born in. Buenos AES um the Swiss guards come in. that was the craziest thing Swiss guards. come in wearing these. multi colored uniforms that you've seen. yellow and purple and they do this whole. choreograph thing which I don't think. was taped or anything were they.

they're they have these long and of. course coar knew the name he's so. Catholic is it a Halbert or a yes. Halbert yeah I didn't know the name and. he was like well of course they've got. their halberts and I was like how did. you know that I thought a Halbert was a. nut you could eat and that's a filbert. anyway um they come in and they start. they do this whole choreograph thing. with their halberts these basically long. sticks that have like an axe head at the. end and then uh all these dignitaries. come in and you're looking at um some.

people are wearing these really. elaborate costumes and there are people. with vestments and they and there are. people that wearing all kinds of. metallic there's all these chains around. their neck one guy looked like a somaler. um he wasn't a somaler but uh he has you. know that thing where they have a spoon. around there you just see all these. people coming in and out and then the. pope comes in and uh sits down and he. spoke to us in Italian but they gave us. the text of it it was really quite. lovely what he said he talked about how. humor brings people together and uh and.

and the importance of it and uh it was. very well written and very thoughtful. and I thought kind of. interesting um and then you get in a. line and you shake the Pope's hand that. is very brief I have to tell you and uh. um there's no moment you know uh I I. never had any Illusions about this but. I'm you know there might have been the. occasional celebrity there comedian who.

thought the pope would go like now you. you know he might he might know Whoopi I. think from Sister Act oh right but it's. not yeah why just cuz she was a nun I. think well no and also whoopie's I mean. whoopie's so iconic she's been around. for a long time but I don't think I had. no not for a second that I ever think. he's going to go like Conan it's a good. to see you you know. you you come out and you did the thing. with the strings on your hips the dance. do it now do it no yeah yeah that's it I.

never thought and so it's a quick. handshake what did you guys exchange any. words I thought I saw footage of you. saying something yeah I said to him uh. it's called con Brian needs a friend and. you can get it you're GNA love Matt and. son I'm already a fan of them yeah and. uh oh and I Al uh yeah and I said uh you. know uh if it's not Miller Light. um I you know yeah I did I mentioned. Miller Light really quickly and he went. you know it is it's uh it's good it's. not so filling but it tastes.

[Laughter]. great 74 calories or 94 calories yeah he. said is it 94 calories I said yeah. that's how it is and and then the pope. said and I'm well this is a quote you. can see he's talking to he gets really. animated at one point he goes you know. what I'm hanging out with my fellas you. know my guys and we're sitting around. and we're shooting the you know and. I went yeah and people were saying uh. your and he said your Holiness maybe you. should move and I he's like no no no. it's finally I'm talking to a guy about. mil.

but I'm Hing with my guys and you you. crack open a cold one and it's like it's. like what is it 90 I'm going to guess. it's like 94 calories I went jeez that's. really anything if it's not M I don't. want it it's a lot of. what am I going to have some other. competing beer no and I'm like you're. starting to sound like Triumph the. insant comic dog he yes yes Co you suck. so anyway then you move on and. um then uh this I'm I hope he doesn't.

get mad at me for saying this but I. thought it was just a very cool moment. we all we sit down but there's comics. from all over the world and there's a. lot of people still filing up and it. like our moment's over and there's a. long line and so we're all sitting there. and Chris Rock is sitting right in front. of me and I noticed that he has these. little earbuds. in and I'm like he's listening to. something what's it is he listening to. something and I lean over his shoulder. and we're in this beautiful like.

you know gorgeous space with this I. don't know if it's from the 1500s or. this 16 and it's just like filled with. these gorgeous murals and it's very. everyone's wearing these elaborate. costumes and we've just had this we're. meeting this man who's the you know. leader of this very massive Church all. over the world and you're thinking about. all the significance of it and I'm lean. over and I look at uh Chris is holding. his iPhone in his lap and I see that. he's listen listening to the soundtrack.

just Straight Out of Compton I'm not. kidding and so I nudge him and he looks. at me and I point down like really and. he takes one earbud out and he goes I. like the jux to position yeah I do too. between being here and listening to the. Straight Out of Compton soundtrack and. I'm like that's cool I like that so how. do you think that they chose was there. 100 precisely or how many people got to. go how many Comics was there a committee. that decided who think I I don't know.

how it all worked I I don't know much I. know that uh I believe um what I when. they looked at the final list from. America I don't know how many of us. there were but maybe 15 from. America something like that you look at. the list and I don't know how they came. up with those names I don't I have no. idea People's Choice Awards Choice yeah. Pon Choice Awards um but you look at the.

list and you be like oh uh I. mean uh England it was only um Steven. Merchant I I believe and you're like huh. you know so there were people who. weren't there I know it's because they. were asked but couldn't come or who. knows I don't know but then you look at. the different countries and there were. people from Germany and know this is a. comedian from Switzerland and this is a. comedian from and then Italy tons of. comics from Italy but I have to say uh.

you I was raised very Catholic and my. parents are very Catholic and so there. was a lot of uh you know meaning in. going to the Vatican and I did get you. get they give you a rosary that's. blessed by the pope which I'm going to. give to my mom oh um well I won't give. her the actual one going to sell it to. yeah no what I I was going to do is I'm. going to keep the real one and say this. was blessed by the PO oh man but I have. to say one of the most meaningful things. to me was.

meeting all these comedians from around. the world some of them are standups some. of them are talk show hosts um some of. them are. improvisers and I loved that because. there was something sweet about it like. we're all in this. kooky uh I don't know we're all in this. weird profession we've all got something. wrong with us I'm sure and we were all. together in this beautiful room and and. so I took a lot of selfies with people.

from different. countries and met a lot of comedians. from all over the globe and I thought oh. this this might be the part of this that. is getting to me the most you know which. I thought that was I thought that was. really neat and I did I mean there were. people that were saying like say hi to. son and Matt I'm like what who you know. cuz I'm always the pope no not the PO no. the pope was like tell son and mat it's. Miller time.

I'm. like please pontiff can we let this go. no no it's just that it doesn't fill you. up um well I'm sitting with my Bishops. and we got a hard day and I want to. relax I like to crackle hey we got to. get paid for this now I did a rift man. they're getting this for free uh but. anyway um it was remarkable it was kind. of a remarkable thing and I have to say. in my career my favorite thing is uh. when I just pop up places I shouldn't be.

and this was definitely a place I. shouldn't be and I'm always looking for. those moments where you know there's. like when I a couple years ago when I. was asked to be at the do something for. the Nobel committee like some kind of. show and then they said and and you can. come to the Nobel Peace. Prize which is done in a very small room. and I sat there with James and other. guys from my camera crew and we we. quickly we quickly put suits on them and. these guys I don't think James had ever.

been in his suit before and we're all. sitting there like practically in the. front row watching someone get the Noel. beace fries and people watching it on. C-Span or wherever they watch these. things it would be like panning across. the room and I had people say like what. why are you there you're the Forest Gump. yeah I know that's my favorite thing is. to be the a goofy Forest Gump that's. showing up places it shouldn't be but. anyway I my thanks to the Vatican for. having me and that was quite an.

experience and uh yeah that's all I got.