Papal tributes and humour

This weekend's 'Catholic Herald' cited a Canadian website as having an "anti-Catholic" cartoon, but it sounded hilarious to me, so I had to check it out. The very idea of the Holy Father saluting Our Lady ala 'Heil Hitler' made me laugh and this morning during Mass, when we prayed for Pope Benedict, the cartoon came to mind and I had to suppress a fit of the giggles! Click on the link and tell me if you find it funny too, or have I got a bad sense of humour that His Holiness needs to put in place?!! But looking at him above, does he look like a man without humour to you?

Another fine example is the 'Brick Testament' which endeavours to put the Bible into Lego-made comic form. The children I taught in Manila loved it and I find it quite funny. Sadly some rather dour people I knew in seminary found it all rather off-colour, especially something like these. What do you think?

Personally, I realize there is a thin line between humour and irreverence but sometimes, we can also take ourselves too seriously. As so many priests living in community have told me, humour is essential... and most of us would admit that God has a fine sense of humour!

On another note, Joanna Bogle, writing in the 'Catholic Times', has suggested updated words to Wiseman's hymn: "God bless our Pope". It is a good attempt and the words are more Scriptural, slightly less triumphalistic and archaic in tone. Will it catch on? Judge for yourself:

Full in the panting heart of Rome
The pilgrim's and the stranger's home,
Our voices rise to God in prayer
With faithful Christians gathered there:

God bless our Pope, the great the good! (x2)

Almighty God, whose sacred word
The great apostle Peter heard,
Who guides with ever-faithful hand
Your holy Church in every land.

O Lord of every age and place,
Peter's successor asks your grace.
Abundant faith and strength provide,
Inspire and lead, protect and guide.

O God of light and God of truth,
The hope of age, the strength of youth,
To whom the holy martyrs pray,
Renew and bless your Church today.

Where Peter is, the Church shall be,
As Christ once taught in Galilee.
Your saints join us to sing your praise,
From now until the end of days.

I too have tried my hand at hymn-writing. Perhaps I'll post some on here one day, when I feel less ashamed of them!!

Finally, the Coetus meets tomorrow to decide my future! I may well need my sense of humour by day's end tomorrow! Please pray for me.