Saturday 2 March 2013

Contessina...

I knew that the Pope Emeritus loves cats - he used to go around feeding strays when he was a Cardinal - but I didn't realise that he actually had a cat with him in the Vatican .. I'm sure I read somewhere that cats weren't allowed in the Vatican.

Filippo Monteforte, AFP/Getty Images / February 19, 2013
It would appear that Benedict XVI has more than one cat... the report in the Chicago Tribune describes Contessina as one of the Pope's cats. I wonder how many there are?

Twitch of the mantilla to Lady Catcliffe for the information!

4 comments:

Matthew Roth said...

Do they have ecclesiastical offices though??

G. Thomas Fitzpatrick said...

I was always puzzled as to why a general ban in cats in the Vatican would stop dear Pope Benedict from having one or more. After all, when you get to be Pope, you make the rules. I recall his Blessed predecessor
Signing his name with a "J" instead of an "I". Reminded by an aide that there is no "J" in Latin, he simply retorted, "There is now." I think a little imperiousness in small matters that work no injustice to anyone (except maybe the housekeeper who has to clean the litter boxes) can be a good thing.

Lynne said...

She's lovely! And I'm glad he had cats with him...

Lady Catcliffe said...

Thanks for the mantilla twitch; it made my day.
I watched EWTN in vain for footage of cat carriers (do you call them cat baskets?) being loaded into a vehicle. I wonder whether the cats accompanied Benedict to Castel Gandolfo. On the one hand, it would be more peaceful for them to remain at Mater Ecclesiae. On the other hand two months is a long time to be without one's cats.

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