THE CAMERA

Many years later, that same Italian tourist had an audience with the Pope and he asked the pontiff if he had any interest in photography. The Pope said he often thought about buying a camera but did not have the time for such worldly pursuits. The tourist asked the Pope if he would be interested in purchasing the Nikon camera on his shoulder strap, but he did not wait for an answer; he simply told the Pope the film inside contained an interesting photo of a loving couple in a field and the man in the photo had a remarkable resemblance to The Holy Father.

The Pope got the drift and asked how much the camera would cost. The tourist asked for $5000 and the Pope immediately shook his hand and took possession of his new camera. They parted and both men were happy.

Next appointment for the Pope was a group of excited Americans. One outspoken member of the group happened to notice that the Pope had a Nikon camera on a strap over his left shoulder. He could not refrain from saying, “Your Holiness, what a coincidence, I have the very same camera as yours. How much did you pay? Of course, the Pope told him the truth…he had just bought it for $5000. In a burst of laughter the American blurted — “Boy! They really saw you coming.”