January 17, 2013
(Romereports.com) Meet Ventura,
the bull. This huge animal made it, or rather was brought to St.
Peter's Square to celebrate the Feast Day St. Anthony, the patron saint
of animals. Making it here wasn't easy. He's about 6 feet tall, eats 30
pounds of hay and flour a day and weighs more than 2,000 pounds.
He
definitely didn't make it alone to St. Peter's Square though. Italian
horses, donkeys, cows, rabbits, chickens and more, made it here with a
clear objective.
GAETANO CRUCIANELLI
Farmer
“Today
we brought our bull and all our animals to St. Peter's Square, so they
could be blessed. We're hoping our animals will have a fruitful and
healthy year.”
There's no doubt, today it was all about the
animals. In fact even the heavy traffic that usually covers the street
that leads to the Vatican, was replaced by a parade of horses.
Cardenal Angelo Comastri, the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, led the celebration and officially blessed the animals. The cold and rainy weather wasn't ideal, but still, there were no regrets.
STEFANO SALEPPICHI
Italian Farmer's Association (AIA)
“We
came to St. Peter to receive the blessing of Cardinal Comastri. We've
come here for several years now and will continue to come in the future,
despite the weather. Some years we've enjoyed the sun, but today it was
rainy and cold.”
So even though the attention was on the animals, the saint who inspired the event was also honored. St. Anthony
died in the 4th century, but still more than 1700 years later, he's
remembered as a great protector of animals...and proof of that was quite
clear in St. Peter's Square.
OFL @ odelafu /KLH
MG
JM
- PR
U:VIC
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