pets for popes

i KNEW it! that dodgy new pope is a cat lover. you can even buy a cardinal hat for your cat, apparently. i knew that there was something other than his archconservative theology, his heterosexism, and his sexism that bothered me. ewww. goddamn cats.

but what's up with the rule of no pets for clergymen? i suspect that the restriction on pet ownership, more than the vow of chastity, or rick santorum's belief that MIT is the culprit, is to blame for the church's woes from the sex abuse scandal to declining membership.

reading this article i did learn that italy considers cats and dogs to be "free citizens," meaning that the state runs shelters that are responsible for spaying and neutering stray animals but then allows them to roam free; it's actually illegal to euthanize a healthy dog or cat. i understand with feral dogs and cats since they probably are unadoptable (and, the article notes, they control rats to boot!) but i wonder about domesticated dogs and cats? do shelters adopt some out or are they let go? i hope the roamin' Romans don't wind up starving to death. having once been homeless i know that dumpster diving is not a fun way to live, though i still occasionally root through the garbage to harken back to harder times. i'm intrigued by free citizenship for animals. i've long advocated full citizenship for dogs including full voting rights because we couldn't bungle it any worse than you naked apes.