We’re made in God’s image, and as Venerable Fulton Sheen says, God has a divine sense of humor.

Here’s a short story that shows why Catholic humor is the best!

Shortly after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela traveled to Canada on June 17th in 1990 for a three day visit.

As he and his wife Winnie stepped onto the red carpet they were greeted by then-Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. They went together to the Chateau Laurier hotel in downtown Ottawa for an official photoshoot.

The photoshoot didn’t begin until an hour after they arrived, and after his travels to Canada Nelson Mandela was “obviously very tired,” said famous 20th century photographer Yousuf Karsh, a Catholic.

To liven up the mood, he told Mandela a story of a time he met with Pope John XXIII.

Karsh asked the pope: “How many people work in the Vatican?”

To which the holy father humorously replied: “About half.”

“Mandela looked a little blank. Suddenly he got the joke, slapped the table, and roared with laughter. And, everything about the sitting changed.”

Their photoshoot went on without a hitch, ending up with some of the most iconic shots of the famous apartheid fighter.

What a great story – thank God for Catholic humor!

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