José Maria C.S. André
On Christmas Day, the Holy Door was opened in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, starting a Jubilee that will last until the end of 2025. It will be the great theme of the year! The beginning of a new stage for the Church and the world.
On January 14, a book by the Pope in dialogue with Carlo Musso will be released, which brings some interesting news.
The New York Times pre-published a page entitled “There is Faith in Humour”. In this text, the Pope contrasts the attitude of the official with that of the pastor, the bitter and sad pride with joy. Basically, he says, for priests, a sense of humour manifests the happiness of “being married to the Church”, in contrast to living as “bachelors”. This also applies to Popes and Francis provides some examples.
One day, John XXIII said something like this in a speech: “It often happens at night that I start thinking about a number of serious problems. I then make a brave and determined decision to go in the morning to speak with the Pope. Then I wake up all in a sweat … and remember that the Pope is me.”
John Paul II also had fun sayings. When he was still a cardinal, an older and rather severe cardinal rebuked him for skiing, mountain climbing, cycling and swimming. The future Pope replied: “But do you know that in Poland these activities are practiced by at least 50 % of the cardinals?” (At the time, there were only two cardinals in Poland).
On the topic of jokes about the Jesuits, Francis praises the ability to laugh at oneself. He tells how a vain Jesuit with a serious illness asked God if he was about to die, but God told him that he would live for at least another 40 years. So, he decided to have hair transplants and various cosmetic operations to make himself look as good as new. As soon as he left the hospital, he was knocked down by a car and died. He protested: “Lord, you told me I would live another 40 years!” “Oops, sorry! —God replied— I didn’t recognize you”.
Someone told the Pope a joke featured in his trip to the United States. At New York airport, he had a stunning car waiting for him and at first he felt embarrassed, but then he thought that it has been ages since he last drove and never a car of that kind. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance! The driver didn’t want to let him try it out, arguing it was against the rules, but Francis insisted until the driver gave in. With the Pope behind the wheel and the driver by his side, they sped off down the highway, until a siren sounded, and the police stopped them. The policeman turns white when he recognizes the driver. “Excuse me a moment,” and calls headquarters: ”Boss, I have a problem, I stopped a speeding car carrying a really important person.” “How important? Is he the mayor?”. “No, no, boss… above that”. “The Governor of the State?”. “No, no, more…”. “The President?”. “More, I reckon”. “How can he be more important than the President?!”. “Look, boss, I can’t say who he is, all I can tell is that his driver is the Pope!”
The Gospel urges us to become like little children and Francis says that nothing cheers him as much as meeting children and old people. The elderly because they bless life, because they put aside all resentment. They have the gift of laughter and tears, just like children. In general, when he lifts a child up in his arms, they smile; but some little children might mistake him for a doctor in a white coat, who is about to give them a shot, and they cry. These are examples, says the Pope, of spontaneity, of humanity, which remind us that whoever renounces their own humanity gives up everything. When it is difficult to cry seriously, or laugh passionately, things go wrong. Anesthetized adults do nothing good for themselves, nor for society or the Church.
There is much more to the book than the page published by the New York Times. For example, it tells that there were two attempts to assassinate the Pope during his trip to Iraq in 2021, that the plan was uncovered in time and the assassins died in a shoot-out with the police.
A condensation of life experience, sorrow and humour. And of hope, which is the theme of the Jubilee. How much we need hope, to see beyond the thunder of the current wars.
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