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Celebrity News September 27, 2015

Mark Wahlberg Pulls the Pope's Leg, Aretha Franklin Offers 'Amazing Grace'

Carl Court/Getty Images

She didn't sing her signature tune "Respect," but the Queen of Soul honored visiting Pope Francis with a spirited interpretation of "Amazing Grace" that has people talking.

As reported by Daily Mail, Franklin performed at the 300,000-strong Festival of Families rally attended by the Pope in Philadelphia on Saturday, hosted by Mark Wahlberg.

Wahlberg was able to work in a quick, "Go Eagles!" [Photo credit: Getty Images News]

Wahlberg used his emcee duties to slyly plug his recent film work after speaking with choirboy Bobby Hill, who had just electrified the crowd with a falsetto number.

[Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images]

"That right there was truly the voice of an angel. But then he whispered in my ear that he loved the movie 'Ted.' And I told him that was not appropriate for a boy of his age," Wahlberg joked. "Holy Father, please forgive me. I've always hoped that the good Lord has a sense of humor when it comes and pertains to many of the movies that I've made."

The centerpiece of the rally was a moving speech by the Pope about family.

Other celebrities performing at the event included Andrea Boccelli and the Fray.

Today marks the final day of the Pope's historic six-day trip to the U.S.; he departs at 8 p.m. ET for Rome.

#ArethaFranklin #MarkWahlberg #Pope

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