The Vatican has released a new children's book that will help kids understand the papacy. At the center of the story to "The Pope's Cat" is Margaret, a stray cat that becomes the tool to showcase what it's like to witness the pope in action.
Jon M. Sweeney wrote "The Pope's Cat" featuring a fictional pope who finds Margaret in the streets of Rome during one of his early morning strolls. The pope decides to adopt the feline and from then on, Margaret gets to bear witness to the pope's activities.
"I find that we as adults are often thinking about the Pope and talking about the Pope and listening to what he has to say, but that young children don't really understand and often just think of the Pope as an image on the refrigerator," the author told the Catholic News Agency. "I wanted to see if I could do one little thing to change that."
Sweeney wrote the book several years ago, even before the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, who actually loves cats. He confessed that he did not know this detail about the Pope Emeritus. It was a personal choice to use a cat in the story as the author grew up with cats.
Seattle graphic designer Roy De Leon did the illustrations to "The Pope's Cat." Sweeney shared that they carefully researched the visual details, such as the Pope's apartment.
"The Pope's Cat" will be part of a series of four books, which is now available in bookstores. The next book in the series, "Margaret's Night in St. Peter's Square," is due in the shelves at Christmas, while Sweeney is still finalizing two more books that will cover the Holy Week and a trip to Assisi.
