Pope Francis may have surprised many by inviting comedians to the Vatican, but the value of humor has deep roots in Catholic tradition

By Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

When Pope Francis addressed a group of top international comedians on June 14, 2024, he called them “artists” and stressed the value of their talents.

To many Catholics, this meeting came as a surprise. Traditionally, the themes of detachment, sacrifice, humility and repentance appear far more frequently in religious writing and preaching than the spiritual benefits of a good laugh.

But as a specialist…

Read complete article

~	Looking for Indigenous history? ‘Shekon Neechie’ website recentres Indigenous perspectives

~	Is Putin drawing inspiration from Stalin’s military purge? Despite parallels, probably not

~	The growing influence of virtual gaming platforms like Roblox on how we interact online

~	The ‘tax-free trap’: How a simple phrase skews Canadians’ savings choices

~	The findings of UK birth trauma inquiry show that change is long overdue – here’s what needs to happen now

~	Left-behind communities need more than devolution – they need central and local government to actually care

~	Honey bees vote to decide on nest sites – why we should listen

~	Euro 2024: why the host nation is required to protect the human rights of football fans

~	What roadies actually do – and why they’re indispensable to live music

~	Labour and the Conservatives both plan to boost childcare by relying on the private sector