Cardinal Dolan on Comedy Central's Colbert Report last night

As Comedy Central's Colbert Report returned from its end-of-summer hiatus last night, the revered satirical news-show blasted out of the gate with one of its most intensely desired bookings... and it didn't exactly take a set dweller to know that the sight of Tim Dolan at Stephen Colbert's interview table has been a long time coming.

Make that a very long time – the idea was pitched and has been percolating around 452 Madison for the better part of three years. Even with a standing invite to appear, though, the cardinal-archbishop of New York – no stranger to raucous humor, by any stretch – reportedly took a bit of convincing that a sit-down with the famously devout comic wouldn't descend into a "shtick" unbecoming of his office. While a key icebreaker came at a Fordham conversation the duo headlined on laughter in the spiritual life, it'd take another year before the mix of a burgeoning friendship and Colbert's ability to draw the crucial 18-49 demographic coveted by TV advertisers – and, well, much of the Stateside church, to boot – finally got Dolan on-set. (Taken in Colbert's green room, the shot above was tweeted out by the cardinal before the show aired with the message "Here are words I never thought I'd say: watch me on Comedy Central tonight.")

continue at Whispers(video)

I didn't watch the video yet, but I for one am elated to see Cdl. Dolan make an appearance - and according to Palmo he made sure it would not descend into any nasty humor.