Pope Francis, who has often cited the need for the church to help spread joy to the world, has just been given his personal "Honorary Comedic Advisor." The new papal jester was adjudged as the winner of the "Joke With The Pope" global contest that drew thousands of participants, including the world's funniest comedians.
And, surprisingly, the first official papal jester is not even a Catholic. The winning joker is Rabbi Bob Alper of Vermont, according to the Jewish Press.
Alper reportedly beat contestants from 47 countries who sent thousands of jokes in a contest organised by the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.
Aside from the title "Honorary Comedic Advisor to the Pope," Alper got to choose which of three charitable missions—helping children in need in Argentina, housing the homeless in Ethiopia, or feeding the hungry in Kenya—will receive the $10,000 donation from the Catholic missionary group. Alper chose the Ethiopia mission.
The Jewish Rabbi got the judges' nod with this joke: "My wife and I have been married for over 46 years, and our lives are totally in synch. For example, at the same time I got a hearing aid, she stopped mumbling."
Andrew Small, Pontifical Mission Societies National Director, said Alper's joke "had it all," adding that it is "the kind of joke I think the Pope would use himself."
Aside from spreading joy to the world, the "Joke With The Pope" contest sought to encourage people to contribute in helping make a difference in the lives of the poorest communities in the world by simply downloading the Missio app on their cell phones, Small said.
He explained to the Catholic News Agency how the app works: "Humour gets us over that initial bump of trying to meet new people who are not your family and friends. You tell a joke, you learn about the good causes that the Church is engaging in throughout the world, and then you stay connected through the app."
"Missio puts the power of change right at your fingertips, connecting you with change-makers and life-saving projects across the globe," Small added.
The Missio app is available through the App Store and Google Play, or at www.missio.org.
The launching of the new app coincides with the Catholic Church's celebration of Mission Month which honours and supports the work of Catholic missionaries around the world.
"Pontifical Mission Societies is responsible for missionary activity in 1,150 dioceses around the world, mostly in Africa and Asia, and also in Latin America," Small said.
Small's also submitted his own joke entry for the contest. His joke was: "How much did it cost the pirate to get his ears pierced? A buck an ear."
Actor Bill Murray, who was one of the judges, also submitted this own joke entry: "Did you hear about the two antennae that got married? The service wasn't so great, but the reception was fantastic."
Not to be outdone, Late Night host Conan O'Brien submitted this joke entry: "The drought in California is so bad, people in Napa are asking the Pope to turn their wine into water."
Other well-known contestants included Cardinal Timothy Dolan and EWTN TV host Raymond Arroyo.
Small said Pope Francis, who also loves to tell jokes, encourages other Christian leaders to use humour to connect with the masses. The pope even wrote an encyclical called "The Joy of the Gospel" in which he urged missionaries not to be "sourpusses" or sullen persons, Small said.
In one of his jokes, which he told a reporter of an Argentinian newspaper in March this year, Pope Francis replied to a question on how he feels about the alleged threats issued by the Islamic State against him. His answer: "Look, life is in God's hands. I told the Lord: 'you are taking care of me. But if your will is that I die or that they do something to me, I ask you only one favour: that it doesn't hurt. Because I'm a big coward when it comes to physical pain."
