Whoopi Goldberg gifts Sister Act merchandise to Pope during ‘extraordinary’ Vatican meeting

Whoopi Goldberg made sure to give Pope Francis a gift he’d never forget when they met at the Vatican last week – some Sister Act merchandise.

The Oscar winner, 67, recalled meeting the 86-year-old religious leader after more than a decade of trying to instigate a face-to-face with him on Monday’s instalment of The View.

The EGOT star played Sister Mary Clarence in the all-singing film and stage franchise, and it seemed as though the head of the Catholic Church was impressed by her portrayal.

Recalling the meeting, Goldberg said: “You don’t always get to meet and say stuff to people, and I thought, ‘Okay I’m going to walk into this building and I’m going to burst into flames’.

“As it turns out, I did not, and I brought him some stuff from Sister Act.”

To which her co-star Sunny Hostin, 54, asked: “That he requested, right?” as the actress nodded and reiterated: “That he asked for.”

Showing footage from the meeting, viewers learned that Goldberg presented Pope Francis with a large photograph of herself as Sister Mary Clarence, as well as a DVD and the movie’s soundtrack.

The Hollywood star explained that after she gifted the merch he pointed to the red stilettos her character wears in the film, to which she laughed and said: “Yes, you know, we’re trying to help bring the sisters into the 21st century, but it’s silly.”

When asked by her View co-stars what she thought Pope Francis made of Sister Act, Goldberg claimed he said via the help of a translator: “One of the best things you can do for people is to help them to have joy and to make them laugh.”

The TV star also shared a glimpse of her “remarkable” experience on Instagram on Monday while also appearing to suggest Sister Act 3 will take inspiration from her visit, although there’s no confirmation to when fans should expect it.

The actor said on social media: "Picture Sister Act and all the nuns standing here, waiting for the Pope to come out. Maybe that's going to happen in the new movie.

“You don't know. You never know, but we are in Rome, and I am in Vatican City. What could I be doing? Why could I be here? We'll find out.”