“Saturday Night Live” is not any stranger to poking enjoyable at faith, however its newest sketch is drawing criticism for suggesting Vice President JD Vance might have performed a job within the demise of Pope Francis.
The episode opened with a sentimental musical quantity devoted to mothers forward of Mom’s Day. The track was abruptly interrupted by a parody of President Donald Trump, performed by solid member James Austin Johnson. The opening monologue of the present has constantly been targeted on the president for weeks.
“It’s me once more, invading all elements of your life,” Johnson’s Trump mentioned as he took the stage. He shortly shifted the tone by commenting on the Catholic Church’s recent election of a new pope.
“We now have an American Pope, Chicago-style, no ketchup,” he joked about Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago, Illinois. “However we like Pope Leo. We hope he does what we would like. That’s what you need the Pope to do.”
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The sketch took a darker flip when the parody Trump implied that Vice President Vance might have had one thing to do with Pope Francis’ demise.
L-R: Bowen Yang as JD Vance and James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump throughout the “Marketing campaign” Chilly Open on Saturday, September 28, 2024. (Will Heath/NBC by way of Getty Photographs)
“In any other case, I’ll should ship JD again to do his factor. Bear in mind final time JD met the pope?” he mentioned, referencing the truth that Vance met Pope Francis simply in the future earlier than the pontiff’s demise.
Vance was, in truth, the final recognized world chief to meet with Pope Francis, visiting him on Easter Sunday final month. The pope handed away the next day.
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The sketch went on responsible Vance for a string of worldwide crises, with Johnson’s Trump saying, “He’s bought the Meidas contact, however for dangerous issues. He meets the pope? Useless. Goes to India? War! Joins my marketing campaign? Trump wins!”
Following information of Pope Francis’ demise, Vance expressed his condolences on X, previously often called Twitter.
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“I used to be completely satisfied to see him yesterday, although he was clearly very sick,” Vance wrote, partially. “However I’ll all the time keep in mind him for the beneath homily he gave within the very early days of COVID. It was actually fairly stunning. Could God relaxation his soul.”
Nonetheless, the timing of the assembly spurred conspiracy theories and jokes on-line. John F. Kennedy’s grandson even posted to his over 100 thousand of X followers: “Okay JD killed the pope.”
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Vance has not responded to the web hypothesis instantly, however in an interview with Fox News Digital, he mirrored on the assembly as a profound second.
“I used to be one among, if not the final world chief to truly meet with the pope,” Vance mentioned. “I took one among my comparatively junior staffers, who’s a religious Catholic, and I seemed again at him when he was about to satisfy the pope, and he was crying–it form of drives residence how vital this, not simply this man, however this establishment is to over a billion folks worldwide.”
After the assembly, Vance flew to India for a diplomatic go to. He realized of Pope Francis’ passing after he landed.
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The SNL sketch didn’t cease on the Vance-pope connection. It went on to mock Catholicism itself, likening the faith to common American establishments.
“We love Catholics,” Johnson’s Trump mentioned. “It’s one of many stronger Christian organizations, together with Salvation Military, and I need to say Chick-fil-A.”
All through the season, the long-running sketch comedy present has repeatedly questioned President Trump’s religion, and for his or her Easter-themed episode, in contrast Trump to Jesus.
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Their parody model of Trump saying: “It’s me, your favourite president, Donald Jesus Trump, evaluating myself to the Son of God as soon as once more.”
