Cardinal Kevin Farrell confirmed the pope’s death on April 21, 2025. After the announcement, numerous people around the world took to social media to pay tribute to Pope Francis, who died at age 88. One of the people who decided to pen a heartfelt message for the late pope was comedian Jimmy Fallon.
While many people thought the comedian’s message was “sweet” and “beautiful,” the message was unexpectedly controversial. In it, Jimmy wrote about the time he met Pope Francis. However, critics accused Jimmy of making the pope’s death about himself.
“It was an honor meeting Pope Francis last summer,” Jimmy wrote on both X and Instagram. “I’m glad I made you laugh. Thank you for your encouraging words. Rest in peace.” Per CNN, Jimmy Fallon was among the more than 100 comedians who were invited to the Vatican in 2024.
On Instagram, many of Jimmy’s followers agreed that the experience must’ve been “such a honor.” One fan observed that “the genuine joy on both your faces is beautiful,” referring to the photo of Jimmy interacting with the late pope.
“The pictures of Pope Francis looking so happy and smiling with you and all of the comedians moves me to tears, what a beautiful human being he was,” another person commented on the post.
But at the same time, others called Jimmy’s post “self-absorbed.”
“Never underestimate Hollywood’s ability to conduct narcissism,” one critic wrote on X. “Thank you Fallon for reminding us.”
A second person said that when Jimmy wrote the message, he must’ve been thinking, “I need to make this about myself.”
“Posting your Pope selfie now?” a third person questioned. “Peak egocentrism. He deserves our sincere respect, not a selfie op — let’s honor his memory rather than chase retweets.”
A fourth person even brought Katy Perry into it, comparing Jimmy’s tribute to the pope to the controversial all-woman Blue Origin space flight the pop star took part in. “This tweet is about as out of touch as Katy Perry kissing the ground last week,” the commenter wrote.
After the post garnered a lot of backlash, some people defended the comedian and said they didn’t see the post as “narcissistic.”
“I wasn’t expecting all the hate in the replies,” one person wrote. “I see how it could come off as egotistical, but I think he meant well. It is an honor to make somebody laugh, especially if that somebody is the Pope.”
