There's a standard joke Pope Francis often likes to tell visitors from abroad. One version of it goes like this: "Do you know what language is spoken in heaven?" And then, with a smile, he gives the punchline: "Hungarian. It's so difficult, it takes an eternity to learn it."

Every Hungarian dignitary who's ever met Francis delights in recounting this story. And it came to mind again last week after the Vatican announced that the 86-year-old pope will be making a three-day visit to Budapest at the end of April.

But Francis' humor is not reserved for just for the Hungarians. It sometimes extends to other peoples, like the Turks or the Finns, whose languages he also views as particularly difficult. "All the better that I already know the language of Paradise," jokes one of them. "That's always good to know!"

Francis is not quite the polyglot his two immediate predecessors were, but the anecdotes about his language jokes reveal something about the friendly way he welcomes guests to the Vatican. He always has a kind word for those who enter his office or the papal library for the first time, making them feel very much at ease. Afterwards visitors will note the pope's simplicity and say they felt as if they spoke with him like equals.

It is part of Francis' personality to willingly put aside formal protocols. This is often part of strategy: to break the ice before tackling, without taboo, the thornier issues.