Ever since he was elected to the position of Pope back in February 2013, Pope Francis has been one of the most consistently beloved and impressive people nominated to the position. Between his humility and down-to-earth nature (often considered a trademark of the Jesuit order that he previously belonged to), it's easy to understand why people who were previously disenfranchised with the Catholic Church are now flocking to him.
His Holiness has used his position several times to encourage other people to treat each other with respect and love, and he's even commented that the church needs to relent on issues that it historically has opposed avidly if they want to be able to modernize and stay relevant. It's an impressive stance, and one that not everybody could pull off.
However, above all else, what's especially impressive is the man's sense of humor. The internet, of course, has run wild with (loving) jokes about how Francis always looks like he's about to drop the year's hottest new rap album:
But what stands out even more is the man's own sense of humor; whether it's admitting that he falls asleep during prayer, or poking fun at himself in general, he seems to love a good joke.
Case and point: while presiding over a service in Lima, Peru, he addressed a reclusive set of cloistered nuns with jokes and advice, not preaching.
The 500 nuns, often referred to as "contemplatives," live a life of prayer and ultimately only tend to leave their convents for medical needs. However, they were here to see His Holiness, and the man himself decided to have some fun with this.
"Seeing you all here an unkind thought comes to my mind, that you took advantage (of me) to get out of the convent a bit to take a stroll," he said, drawing roars of laughter from the nuns, many of whom were elderly.
He then decided to comment on the idea of the nuns gossiping, a subject he's spoken of to priests and congregation alike before. Of course, he had to make it funny.
"You know what a gossiping nun is?" he asked. "A terrorist." Cue tons of laughter.
"Because gossip is like a bomb. One throws it, it causes destruction and you walk away tranquilly. No terrorist nuns! No gossip, and know that the best remedy against gossip is to bite your tongue," he said.
