Stephen Colbert on Pope Francis, Cardinal Dolan and (of course) Stephen Colbert

David Gibson

NEW YORK (RNS) The great and the good — and lots of politicians and TV pundits, too — gathered Thursday (Oct. 17) to hear comedian Stephen Colbert roast and toast everyone from Pope Francis to his host for the evening, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The 68th annual Al Smith Dinner, named for the first Catholic presidential candidate in American history, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel raised $3 million for New York’s neediest children.

Colbert is a lifelong Catholic, a man who is, as Alfred E. Smith IV said in introducing him, “serious about both his craft and his Catholic faith.” The cardinal — who is also pretty funny — and the comedian first met last fall, and Colbert had Dolan on his show last month. So the archbishop of New York returned the favor by having Colbert headline the dinner.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/10/18/stephen-colbert-pope-francis-cardinal-dolan-course-stephen-colbert/

Glad everyone had a sense of humor.