Meow! Catty View of Pope's Life

ROME, Oct. 4, 2007 — -- When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in April 2005, a slew of more-or-less-instant biographies soon flooded bookstores around the world. The latest one, however, with a prestigious introduction by the pope's personal secretary, is recounted by a cat.

"Joseph and Chico — A Cat Tells the Life Story of Benedict XVI," an illustrated book for children by Jeanne Perego (Edizioni Messaggero, Padova 2007) will be available in Italian bookstores next week and presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair later this month.

"Here, dear children, you will find a biography that is different from others, because it is told by a cat, and it is not everyday that a cat can consider the Holy Father his friend, and sit down to write his life story," writes Georg Ganswein, the pope's personal secretary, in his introduction to the book. "They have known each other for a long time, and the things Chico recounts are really interesting."

In fact, Chico is not just a creature of the fancy of writer Jeanne Perego, but a real cat, which lives next door to the pope's former vacation home in Pentlingen, Germany.

"I wanted to write a children's biography of the new pope as soon as I heard Joseph Ratzinger had been elected," Perego, an Italian writer living near Pentlingen in Bavaria told ABC News. "I needed a narrator — animals are always a favorite — and I thought of Chico, who I had met at Ratzinger's neighbors' house."

"I've come to find you in the pages of this book to tell you the story of my dearest friend, a marvelous man with whom I spent many happy moments," explains Chico the cat at the beginning of the book. "I want him to become your friend, too, not just mine."

The book recounts the story of the pope's life from his birth in Germany to the day of his election as pope on April 19, 2005. Recounted almost as a fable, the account includes good and bad times in the future pope's life, including the Nazi era when Ratzinger was "forced to do something, which was absolutely against his will: join the army and leave for the war. We cats do not make war."

Chico realizes, by the end of the book, that he probably won't see his friend Joseph ever again, since his commitments as pope are likely to keep him away.

"Do you understand now why my friend Joseph won't have time to come see me any more? " says the cat at the end of the book. "Now Joseph Ratzinger is not only my friend, but also a big friend and guide for all Catholics."

"I saw the new pope as an example of coherence, seriousness and commitment for children," said Perego. "These are important values to transmit to the adults of tomorrow. He is also very sensitive, and has a great feeling for animals, he is human," she added, "and I wanted to transmit this as well."

And these must be the qualities that appealed to the pope's secretary when Perego sent the book to him, and inspired him to a write the introduction, not something he usually does.

When asked how she persuaded the pope's personal secretary to present the book, Perego said, "I simply wrote to him. I expected to get three lines back, and instead I received this beautiful introduction — I was very moved."

Chico the cat is a red tabby that belongs to the neighbors and caretakers of the house that Pope Benedict XVI still owns in Pentlingen, Germany. It often wandered over to see the then-cardinal when he was visiting.

"As soon as Ratzinger would arrive at the house and pull up the shades, Chico would appear, and stay with him until he left," said Perego. "The cat was very fond of Ratzinger."

When Ratzinger returned to Germany for the first time as pope in 2006, journalists visited the house in Pentling and Chico became a star. "Whenever he sees a camera, he is there, putting himself into position," Rupert Hofbauer, a neighbor, told the Catholic News Service at the time.

When the pope stopped by the house on that trip, however, he did not get to see his favorite cat, Perego said. The pope's secretary patted the cat in the garden, but all the noise and confusion of the pope's arrival frightened Chico away.

Pope Benedict XVI's fondness for cats has been widely reported since he was elected pope. According to Perego, the pope has a collection of ceramic cats in his house in Pentlingen and used to buy a cat calendar for the house every year.

"Now there is still a cat calendar every year, and the pope's brother Georg turns the pages when he goes by the house," said Perego. A stylized sculpture of a cat also adorns the garden in Germany.

There has been much speculation in the press as to whether Pope Benedict actually owns or owned a cat. After Benedict's election to the papacy, photographers staked out the pope's former and new apartments in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the papal pet, but none was ever spotted. The paparazzi eventually gave up, but the mystery of the pontiff's cat remained.

Now sources close to the pope have confirmed to ABC News that, however fond he might be of felines, the pope has never had a cat of his own.

It seems that Chico is the closest thing to a papal cat there is.