In Defence of Humour

Once upon a time there was a priest who got fed up with the number of parishioners who confessed that they committed adultery. Every week, in the confessional, it was the same thing - adultery.

One Sunday he said in his sermon that he was angry about this continuous sin of adultery amongst his congregation. He promised that if he heard this sin one more time he'd give up the priesthood and leave town for ever.

His congregation loved him and did not want to lose him. They agreed a secret code amongst themselves. From now on, instead of saying they committed adultery; they would say they have "fallen".

All went well for years until eventually the bishop moved the priest to another Parish and replaced him with a new one.

The new priest did not know the code. He was most disturbed that so many parishioners kept falling so he complained to the Mayor that the sidewalks in town are un-even and that he should do something about it to stop people from falling.

The Mayor, knowing the code, laughed out loudly.

The priest said: "I don't know what you're laughing about. Your wife fell three times this week."

Now some people may not approve of this joke. It pokes fun at the Holy Sacrament of Marriage as well as being a sacrilegious comment about Confession; another of Jesus Christ's Holy Sacraments. And, of course, I understand such feelings.

But let me tell you that this joke was told by a Catholic priest at the pulpit during Sunday Mass.

So what should we do with this priest? Defrock him? Excommunicate him? Throw him out of the Church?

The congregation laughed; and the priest went on to give one of the best sermons about adultery and cheating on one’s spouse I have ever heard. He had the full attention of everyone there.

It is indeed a very fine line between what is funny, and what one considers as a step too far.

I find by studying the statistics on my Blog that about 80% of my readers are first time visitors. And I note that they get attracted by my humourous, (often Catholic related), articles. Hopefully, they then venture to go on to read my more serious Christian articles and perhaps get interested in finding out more about Christianity.

I have often wondered if God has a sense of humour. I pray that He has; otherwise I am in serious trouble.

In the meantime, I’ll continue writing my humourous articles, with no intention to offend anyone, but in the hope that they do someone somewhere some good; even if it is to break a smile on their face.

You can read my other humourous and serious articles here on Catholic 365 by typing my name in the search box.