Mark Wahlberg, saved by priest, to host pope's Festival of Families

Mark Wahlberg, erstwhile rapper and underwear model whose sometimes-crude humor earned him starring roles in two comedies about a grown man and his sentient teddy bear, seems like an odd fit to host a festival for the pope.

But the 44-year-old actor has long credited his Boston parish priest with guidance that helped him overcome a childhood of crime and drug use. And, after all, this pope is a progressive one.

So, Marky Mark: Meet Pope Francis.

Wahlberg will anchor the Saturday, Sept. 26, Festival of Families that now includes soul queen Aretha Franklin, comedian Jim Gaffigan, and the rock band the Fray with previously announced Latin singing sensation Juanes and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, organizers announced Monday.

"When we first envisioned the Festival of Families, we could have never anticipated such an extraordinary lineup of talent would be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event," said Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting of Families.

The festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be broadcast on TV and shown on 40 Jumbotron screens throughout the city. Free tickets closest to the stage were reserved last week, but the portion of the Parkway from 20th Street east is unticketed and open to all.

Pope Francis is expected to attend and speak at the Festival of Families. A smaller stage will feature cultural acts and spiritual organizations from around the region.

Franklin, in a statement, called it a "blessing" to sing in Pope Francis' presence.

Wahlberg will introduce them. His devout Roman Catholic faith - Wahlberg has said, in various interviews, that he often attends church twice on Sundays - steered him as he rehabilitated his image.

In 1988, Wahlberg served 45 days in prison for beating a Vietnamese man - a crime that police said was racially motivated. Wahlberg later admitted to being under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the attack. He dropped out of high school.

"As a Catholic, I credit much of my success to my faith," Wahlberg said in a release. "It is an honor to be a part of welcoming Pope Francis to Philadelphia and I am humbled to join this celebration."

Wahlberg started his career in 1991 as the front man of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Six years later, his breakout movie role - as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights - portrayed the rise of a 1970s pornography star.

More recently, Wahlberg is known for his roles in action films like The Departed, The Italian Job, and Lone Survivor. He was an executive producer for two hit HBO series, Entourage and Boardwalk Empire.

Franklin, 73, is the daughter of a preacher and a gospel singer. She started singing at her father's Baptist church in Detroit and has remained a devout Christian.

The 18-time Grammy Award winner was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Fray, best known for their 2006 hit "How to Save a Life," often invoke religion in their lyrics. Isaac Slade, the band's lead vocalist and songwriter, has said he wrote "How to Save a Life" after he mentored a troubled teen at a Christian camp.

Also performing is Jackie Evancho, who was runner-up on the fifth season of America's Got Talent. Evancho, 15, is a classically trained Pittsburgh native who was the best-selling debut artist of 2010.

When organizers told Gaffigan that about one million people could be there for his stand-up routine, he laughed.

It was a joke. Right?

"It's surreal," Gaffigan said. "There's part of me that still kind of believes there will eventually be a phone call: 'Sorry, there was a mistake. We didn't realize it was you.' "

Gaffigan splices Catholicism into his comedy, sometimes with a little fun at the expense of his own faith. The Jim Gaffigan Show stars Gaffigan as a fictionalized version of himself, balancing a popular stand-up act with his large family and devoutly Catholic wife in a small apartment.

"It's not like I'm this Catholic scholar," Gaffigan said. "I'm just somebody who goes to church and believes in God. Maybe they went through a list of Catholic comedians in the country. . . . It's me and [Stephen] Colbert. It's not like there's a huge pool."

The father of five does not expect to censor much for his 20-minute set. Gaffigan has a rule for what or what not to include.

"If my wife is comfortable with my jokes," he said, "I'm fine doing them in front of the pope."