Among the many celebrities paying tribute to Pope Francis is “American Idol” judge Lionel Richie, who opened up about the “wonderful” meeting he had with the leader of the Catholic Church in 2019.
On April 21, 2025, the Vatican confirmed the Pope had died of a cerebral stroke on Easter Monday, per the Associated Press. He was 88.
Later that day, Richie took media questions after judging the two-hour, live “American Idol” episode during which he, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan made their final picks for the top 14. He looked pained when a reporter from Extra asked about the “sad news” that Pope Francis had died, and then shared why their meeting was so special to him.
Lionel Richie Says Pope Francis Had a Special Ability to Connect With Everyone
Richie met Pope Francis in December 2019 when he, “Britain’s Got Talent” alum Susan Boyle, and 80s singer Bonnie Tyler were invited to the Vatican to perform a Christmas concert with an underlying theme of environmentalism, according to Rome Report.
While there, Richie posted a photo of himself on Facebook and wrote, “Not every day you get to have an audience with the Pope at the Vatican.” Boyle also posted a Facebook photo of her with Richie and Tyler, noting that their concert would raise money for the Amazon rainforest.
Recalling that day, Richie told Extra, “I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting him. (He was) warm, accessible, they kept trying to say to him, ‘Uh, you need to be over here.’ He walks out … walks off stage and into the crowd! And when he walks up to you, it’s as if he knows you.”
“I meet a lot of people every day, every night,” Richie continued. “(But) he does it every day — masses of people! And when he’s speaking to you — he spoke to my party, me, as if we’ve been friends for the longest time.”
“I’m going to miss him,” Richie told Extra, “because he was in touch. You can say what you want to say, but he was in touch with a common person. Didn’t matter what part of the world you’re from, he knew how to relate. And my philosophy has always been, as my grandmother would say, ‘If you know how to treat somebody in Alabama, it applies around the world.'”
“He came from Italy,” Richie added, “but he knew how to talk to everybody around the world.”
On April 21, Richie’s longtime love Lisa Parigi posted throwback photos of them with Pope Francis at the event and wrote, “There are moments that stay with you forever—this is one of them. 🤍 Feeling so blessed. #popefrancis”
What is Lionel Richie’s Religious Background?
Richie is not Catholic, but was raised as a Christian in Tuskegee, Alabama.
In 2012, he told The Guardian, “God is wherever I am. I was born and raised a Christian, but I’ve learned from my travels that God has many names. When you see yourself as a citizen of the world, then you respect where you are. Buddha, Allah, and Jesus all lead to the same thing – a higher consciousness.”
When he left for college, he told People in 2019, he thought he might become an Episcopal priest — until he discovered music and girls.
“I left my mom and dad’s house to go to Tuskegee University, and I met my Commodore friends there,” he told the outlet. “At the time I was seriously considering being an Episcopal priest. (But) the first time I played with the Commodores, a group of girls screamed. Up until that moment no one, no girl had ever screamed at me.”
Richie opened the three-hour “American Idol” Easter special on April 20 by singing his 2009 song “Eternity,” backed by the top 24 contestants. Joking to Extra that he was “Reverend Richie” for a moment, he said he loved getting to start the show with such a meaningful message.
“When they asked me to do it first, I was honored,” he told the outlet. “That song has been in my catalog for a while and I said, ‘Okay, let’s pull that out.’ And I’ve received so many people saying ‘Where’d that song come from?!'”
Comments
Lionel Richie & Pope Francis: Music Legend Shares Fascinating Details of Their Time Together