(Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Don’t expect to see Whoopi Goldberg on The View for the rest of this week. While the longtime moderator is typically off on Fridays, she was noticeably absent from this morning’s episode of the popular daytime talk show as well.
As the co-hosts walked out to the show’s catchy theme song, Joy Behar took Goldberg’s seat, kicking off the episode by addressing the EGOT recipient’s absence. “So, as you might notice, Whoopi is not here because she’s with the Pope at the Vatican,” Behar explained, jokingly adding, “Is she gonna get canonized? Please don’t tell me we have to call her St. Whoopi”, reported Decider.
The light-hearted banter continued as Behar asked, “What’s going on with her and the Pope?” Sunny Hostin responded, “They have a relationship. They like each other.” Behar noted that this “is not the first time” Goldberg has traveled to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. Indeed, Goldberg previously missed a few episodes of The View to visit Vatican City in October 2023. Upon her return, she described the trip to Rome as the “most exquisite experience,” sharing that she had been trying to meet the Pope for 11 years.
“This is something I’ve tried to do … and the next thing I knew I was in Rome, talking to him,” Goldberg recounted. “He was quite amazing. He is exactly what I hoped he would be, which is a Pope for all people, regardless of religion, which I really appreciated.”
Goldberg continued, “I wanted to thank him, for all of my gay friends and for all of my divorced friends, because he basically has said, ‘Listen, God loves you no matter what. Come back to the church.’ … I thought, I’m gonna walk into this building and I’m going to burst into flames. But as it turns out, I did not.”
Additionally, Goldberg revealed that the Pope is a big fan of her film Sister Act. She mentioned bringing him memorabilia from the movie because “he asked for it.” This light-hearted detail underscores the unique bond Goldberg shares with Pope Francis.
As speculation mounts about the purpose of her current visit, some fans are wondering if she might be recruiting the Pope for the long-awaited Sister Act 3. For now, viewers will have to wait for Goldberg’s return to The View next week to hear all about her latest Vatican visit. The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
