Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 2:40pm

PopeWatch: Not Funny

If an unexamined life is a tragedy, the life of Pope Francis could give the classic Greek tragedians a run for their money:

“It is so sad to see consecrated men and women who have no sense of humor, who take everything seriously,” Pope Francis said. “Please; to be with Jesus is to be joyful, it is also to have the capacity that holiness gives us to have this sense of humor.”

Go here to read the rest.  Thus sayeth the most humorless Pope in many a century.  It is like his jeremiads against ideology, the Pope seems to lack any insight into himself.  When a man is a stranger to himself, how can he have any insight into anyone else?  Perhaps a key to what makes Pope Francis tick is an almost complete lack of empathy.  The great comedians usually make their main target themselves, think of the late Bob Hope for example, but that requires both insight and humility, two qualities notably lacking in our dour Pope.

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Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 6:36am

No wonder Shea loves this pope so much…

Anyway, don’t know much about Bob Hope, but I always enjoyed Red Skelton and Bob Newhart and they were often the punchline in their works. It’s funny because I recently watched Stephen Fry commenting on Brit vs ‘murica comedy:

I think he’s on the right track but a little off. I think it may simply be a difference between optimism and pessimism. American comedians will go for being the butt of jokes (see above examples) but I think there’s always this sense that even as things go wrong, it will all turn out ok in the end. Meanwhile in Brit comedy, there’s this sense that no matter what or how hard you try, nothing will ever improve.

A good comparison may be to watch Faulty Towers vs Newhart – two comedy shows about a guy trying to run an Inn in a wacky town.

Pinky
Pinky
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 9:16am

Great insight, Don.

Mike R.
Mike R.
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 10:01am

After the last few years watching both the government and the Church, I have begun to wonder if the “powerful delusion” of 2 Thess. 2 is a total absence of self-awareness. It certainly seems epidemic in high places.

Ezabelle
Ezabelle
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 1:23pm

“Meanwhile in Brit comedy, there’s this sense that no matter what or how hard you try, nothing will ever improve.” We have a slang term “whinging Pommy”. “Pommy” driving from the word “Pomegranate” which goes bright red when out out in the harsh sun (something most Brits do when they arrive in Australia). So “Whinging Pommy” is apt because there is always something to complain about. And everything is so difficult. And let’s overthink something twice before we act etc…that characteristic typifies British comedy from Faulty Towers era to ones like Absolutely Fabulous, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, The Office…JMHO

Eddietoo
Eddietoo
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 2:40pm

Just because Pope Francis struggles to live the Gospel (who does not?) does not invalidate his spiritual directions.

It has been said (I cannot remember by whom), and I paraphrase, do not criticize a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.

Pinky
Pinky
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 4:13pm

Eddie, I have no problem following a pope without a sense of humor. It’s something I never thought about before. It’s just odd that someone without an apparent sense of humor would bring it up.

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Wednesday, August 18, AD 2021 5:39pm

For what’s it worth.

When Pope Francis asked the altar boy; ” What’s the matter? Are your hands stuck together?” Referencing a moment that was caught early on in his pontificate. [ the boy had his hands placed together as we were all taught in the day when Nun’s donned habits,]

Originally I took it as the Pope’s sense of humor. Not far after that I was dismayed at the seriousness of his comment. My hope was that my first reaction to his comment was correct.

I have my doubts about his sense of humor.
I base this after eight years of his teachings and public opinion about the rigidity of traditional pious religious and laity.

He is OUR Pope.
Because of that fact, I will continue to pray for him and our Holy Catholic Church.

Take what is good….leave the rest.

Fr. Frank
Fr. Frank
Thursday, August 19, AD 2021 8:36am

“It has been said (I cannot remember by whom), and I paraphrase, do not criticize a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”

I thought it was “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no class.”

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Thursday, August 19, AD 2021 5:23pm

“It is so sad to see consecrated men and women who have no sense of humor, who take everything seriously,” Pope Francis said. “Please; to be with Jesus is to be joyful, it is also to have the capacity that holiness gives us to have this sense of humor.” PF

A Catholic President who supports a non-negotiable, abortion on demand.

A classless stand with the CCP in allowing government agencies to select Catholic Bishops.

Rigidity. The sharp stick in the eye to having lost the ability to celebrate the TLM without the local Bishops approval.

Oh….please stop me.
I’m laughing right out of my shoes.

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Thursday, August 19, AD 2021 6:27pm

btw…
I ask for your blessing Fr. Frank.

These days are challenging and I have struggled with my own flaws for years so what I see as a beam in another’s eyes is only a reflection of the actual beam in my eye.
Hence the blessing for continual conversion.

I don’t know that facts of Pope Francis’s meeting or possible ultimatums that may have been posed by the CCP. Maybe he has saved the lives of thousands by his secret arrangements.

You don’t know what you don’t know.

I hope for a change of heart.

Mine.

Peace.

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