The most you can do for people is to give them joy and make them laugh, the Holy Father told the actress.
Whoopi Goldberg was interviewed by Vatican News on the occasion that the Hollywood star met Pope Francis in the Vatican on October 12. Whoopi Goldberg pointed out the importance of fighting the good fight, in any way, in response to Pope Francis' call for hope, love and inclusion to heal our broken world.
"Are there bees in the Vatican?" "The Vatican has no bees." "The Vatican should have bees..." - Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar-, Tony-, Emmy-, Grammy- and Golden Globe-winning actress and activist, who is also a beekeeper, emphasized that "keeping bees draws attention to , that pollinators are dying worldwide... Maybe I could send the Pope some bees".
Whoopi Goldberg said all this as she looked at a photo of beekeepers at the "Changes" exhibition at the Vatican Press Office, which she visited after being received by the Pope on Thursday. The exhibition – a selection from a larger, virtual photo booth – shows how climate change is dramatically affecting the Earth, animals and people, and how the poor and minorities are the ones most affected.
Whoopi Goldberg said that she has been waiting to meet the Holy Father for almost eleven years, since the election of Pope Francis. Now, on October 12, he finally succeeded and was able to say what he had wanted for a long time. A simple word: "thank you".
Whoppi Goldberg also prepared a surprise for the audience: she presented Pope Francis with the DVD of the Nun show and the music from the film. Seeing the cover, Pope Francis remarked that she wears red high heels as a nun. The actress humorously replied: "We wanted to bring the sisters into the 21st century", then added that the film is, of course, just nonsense.
Pope Francis pointed out: "The most you can do for people is to give them joy and make them laugh."
In an interview with Vatican News, the actress also talked about the drama told by the photos displayed in the Holy See Press Office, which Pope Francis devoted so much of his pontificate to: "the lack and necessity of love" and the struggle for inclusion and the preservation of the created world its importance.
The actress confirmed: she is close to the teachings of Pope Francis, and she believes that a leader should voice his message the way the Pope does. "He says we should love everyone" and we must remember that forgiveness is not up to us, it's up to God, and the rest, frankly, is none of our business."
The Hollywood star we all remember from The Nun Show and the movie Ghost - to name just two blockbusters - recalled when she was young, XXIII. Pope John has given impetus to some important changes in the Church, responding to changes in the world, and enthusiastically expressed his appreciation for Pope Francis' message of inclusion. “He's the first one to say that. Who said, "don't tell people that God doesn't love them. Don't tell them not to join the church.'' Some people get divorced and some people are gay and "you may not agree but we all know God doesn't make mistakes".
Whoopi Goldberg said she believes Pope Francis is sending the right message to heal the world, noting that "not everyone can be a messenger and not everyone is fit to fight." However, "we can all talk about it, and sometimes that's the best weapon we can use to fight injustice."
Reflecting on the photos displayed in the Szentszék Press Office, Whoopi Goldberg noted that the teaching of Pope Francis is consistent with what the pictures depict. "This is a message for everyone. The pictures tell us that we have a problem; that each problem is unique, belongs to a certain place, but when you put it all together... it's the world itself. It seems like we're talking about separate pieces, but they're not, they're actually all part of a much bigger picture," he said.
Fighting one such injustice is Maria, who was photographed in Brazil the day after a group of children disappeared; they were kidnapped by suspected organ traffickers. "He's fighting on fifty different levels, and we have to fight him in any way possible for us to say, 'We see what's going on, we see you, and we're going to tell everybody what we saw,'" Whoopi Goldberg said in response to the photo.
According to the actress, that's exactly why you need to "take photos and send them, send them everywhere, put them up, put them up everywhere, put them up in your city - people might not even know what's going on. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk..." he urged.
The actress is also a messenger. In response to the interviewer Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić's question about her role in the show The Nun, Whoopi Goldberg said that she saw her influence and that the number of vocations increased after the film. "I've met nuns all over the world who still sing the songs in the movie."
One of the decisive nuns in the Hollywood star's life was Jean Fielder, a teacher and good friend who, according to the actress, knew people's everyday difficulties and never gave up on people. "I wanted to embody her in the Nun show. I thought I had a calling. But it was more of a 'shh' than a 'haha', but it's still in me somewhere," said Goldberg.
Finally, thinking that we are all different and have the right to feel differently, Whoopi Goldberg said she believes that instead of exclusion, rejection and marginalization, which fuel hate, inclusion is the path to healing. "Saying 'no, not you' feeds hatred in the world; the real answer is: »Yes, them! And you and you and you and you…”
