On a tour of Texas, the Pope took a couple of days off his itinerary
to visit the Texas coastline on an impromptu sightseeing trip. His 4X4
Pope-mobile was driving along the beautiful shoreline when there was
an enormous commotion heard just off the beach. They rushed to see
what it was and upon approaching the scene, the Pope noticed in the water a
hapless man wearing an University of Texas football jersey, struggling
frantically to free himself from the jaws of a 25-foot shark.
At that moment a speedboat containing three men wearing Oklahoma
Sooner's football jerseys roared into view from around the point. Immediately,
one of the men took aim and fired a harpoon into the shark's ribs,
immobilizing it instantly. The other two reached out and pulled the
Texas man from the water and then, using long clubs, beat the shark to
death.
They bundled the bleeding, semi-conscious man into the boat along with
the dead shark and then prepared for a hasty retreat when they heard
frantic shouting from the shore. It was the Pope summoning them to
the beach.
After they reached shore, the Pope praised them for the rescue and
said, "I give you my blessing for your brave actions. I had heard that there
were some bitter hatred between the people of Texas and Oklahoma, but
now I have seen with my own eyes this is not true. I can see that your
society is a truly enlightened example of true harmony and could serve
as a model on which other states could follow." He blessed them all and
drove off in a cloud of dust.
As he departed, the harpooner asked the others, "Who was that?"
"That," one answered, "was his Holiness the Pope. He is in direct
contact with God and has access to all of God's wisdom."
"Well," the harpooner replied, "he don't know nothin' about shark
fishing.