Watch The Daily Show pit Pope Francis against the GOP

Both claim to channel the will of God, Jon Stewart says. So how come they're hearing such difference voices?

Jon Stewart senses a schism
(Image credit: Comedy Central)

Ed Morrissey argues at The Week that the media is, wittingly or not, misinterpreting just about everything Pope Francis is saying in his wide-ranging and surprisingly frank interviews with the press. So he probably isn't a fan of Jon Stewart's analysis of the new pope, who has endeared himself greatly to The Daily Show host. (Watch below)

"I guess you could say, boy, you know your ideology is rigid and outdated when the head of the organization that just got around to apologizing to Galileo shows more doctrinal flexibility than you," Stewart told Republicans. But there are bound to be disagreements between different messengers of God, and that doesn't mean there needs to be a big schism. You can guess what's coming next: A clip of Pope Francis denouncing the "idolatry of money and big business."

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The pope had better watch it, said Stewart, or the U.S. "is going to end up invading the Vatican."

The first part of The Daily Show was also about another mold-breaking leader of a place the U.S. might invade: Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani. Or, as Stewart called him: Iran Man 2. Rouhani is a breath of fresh air after his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Stewart said, in that he wished Jews a happy Rosh Hashanah and doesn't deny the Holocaust outright.

In Iran Man 2, the sequel, Stewart turned to senior international relations correspondent Jessica Williams. She was aghast that President Obama and Rouhani didn't shake hands at the United Nations this week, arguing that if Drake and Chris Brown can make up with a hug, the leaders of Iran and the U.S. should at least be able to manage a handshake or fist-bump. Stewart clarified that America is Drake in this analogy. Who's Rihanna? Watch:

Here's Stewart's first love letter to Pope Francis, the "World's Greatest Father." At times it feels like he's trolling the Catholic Church, and Stewart and his staff clearly aren't up to speed on their canon law, or even the Catholic catechism (the pope isn't infallible in most matters, only some doctrinal issues, for example), but it's still amusing:

Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.