“We priests tend to enjoy humor and have a fair stock of jokes and amusing stories, which we are often quite good at telling, as well as being the object of them,” Pope Francis wrote in a New York Times editorial published on Tuesday, December 17, his 88^th birthday.

The op-ed, titled “Pope Francis: There Is Faith in Humor,” was adapted from a passage in his new book, “Hope: The Autobiography,” written with Carlo Musso, set to be published in the United States on January 15, 2025.

The pope expressed his belief that it’s important for everyone, especially priests, to poke fun at themselves. “Irony is a medicine, not only to lift and brighten others but also ourselves because self-mockery is a powerful instrument in overcoming the temptation toward narcissism.”

His Holiness rewrites a long joke about himself, told about his visit to the United States in 2015. But he returns to the Gospel of Matthew to relate his current source of joy.

“The Gospel, which urges us to become like little children for our own salvation [Matthew 18:3], reminds us to regain their ability to smile.

“Today, nothing cheers me as much as meeting children. When I was a child, I had those who taught me to smile, but now that I am old, children are often my mentors. The meetings with them are the ones that thrill me most, that make me feel best.”

Read the full editorial here.