Chico the cat tells children how his best friend became Pope Benedict

Published: 2007-10-04

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Chico the cat thinks he is in the "purrfect" position to tell children the story of how one of his best friends became Pope Benedict XVI. The cat's tale is confirmed, at least as far as the facts of the papal biography go, by Msgr. Georg Ganswein, Pope Benedict's personal secretary and the author of the preface to the Italian children's book, "Joseph and Chico: A Cat Recounts the Life of Pope Benedict XVI." A spokeswoman for the Conventual Franciscans' Edizioni Messaggero Padova, the book's publisher, said they expect to find translators and foreign publishers for the book at the mid-October International Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. In his preface, Msgr. Ganswein wrote to young readers, "It's not every day that a cat considers the Holy Father his friend and sits down to write his story."

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .