Whoopi Goldberg Meets Pope, Bears Gifts He Requested

Whoopi Goldberg presented Pope Francis with a signed copy of "Sister Act" as well as merchandise from her hit movie.

"The View" host was notably absent from the ABC talk show for most of last week, "doing something really exciting," as co-host Joy Behar teased Wednesday. Upon her return Monday, Goldberg revealed that she had visited the Pope.

"It was kind of shocking, because for 11 years, this is something I've tried to do," Goldberg said, according to The Wrap. "You have to go through all these different ways, and we did it a different way. And the next thing I knew I was in Rome, talking to him. And 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 presented video footage from her meeting with the Pope, during which she gifted him a copy of "Sister Act," in which she portrays a woman who disguises herself as a nun.

In addition to the film, Goldberg can be seen holding a copy of the soundtrack, a "Sister Act" notebook, and various other items. However, Goldberg said they were a request from Pope Francis.

"You know, I thought, 'OK, I'm gonna walk into this building, and I'm going to burst into flames,'" Goldberg joked. "As it turns out, I did not. And I brought him some stuff from from 'Sister Act,' that he asked for."

Speaking with Vatican News during her visit, Goldberg expressed her appreciation to Pope Francis for his message of inclusion after introducing changes in the church that best reflected the world.

"He is the first to have said it. To have told people to 'stop telling people that God doesn't love them. Stop telling them not to come to church,'" she said, noting that some people get divorced and others are gay. "You may not agree, but we all know that God doesn't make any mistakes."

Goldberg said that she thought Pope Francis had the right message to heal the world, saying: "Not everybody can be a messenger, and not everybody is cut out to fight. ... We can all talk about it, and that can sometimes be the best weapon with which to fight injustice."