Mark Wahlberg gets in a ‘Ted’ joke while emceeing for pope

A young boy of the Keystone Boys Choir got the chance to meet Pope Francis Saturday night after performing at the Festival of Families in front of thousands.

Within an hour of the start of a festival headlined by Pope Francis, Mark Wahlberg already had made a joke about his raunchy movie “Ted”.

Six families from around the world shared their stories of love, faith and hardship before the pontiff, and there were musical performances from Aretha Franklin, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, The Fray and others. He then walked up and presented Pope Francis with a gift.

“[Teenage opera singer Bobby Hill] whispered in my ear that he liked the movie Ted”, Wahlberg said. The city is the last of three that the Holy Father visited during his September 22 to 27 trip to the United States.

Wahlberg was introducing former Philadelphia Eagles running back Herb Lusk at the event, which had Pope Francis as guest of honour, and wrapped up with a “Go Eagles” shout-out.

The Pope then joked: “sometimes people tell me ‘Father, you speak like that because you are not married.’ Families have difficulties…families, we quarrel”.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan warmed up the crowd and Sister Sledge performed “We Are Family” before the pope arrived. “But the most handsome thing that God did, says the Bible, was the family”.

“God’s love is so overflowing that it could not be egoistic, it had to be poured out of him”, the Pope said, explaining that this is what prompted the creation of the world.