The Pope, the Parrot and the Stripper: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!

I couldn’t write a headline like that if I tried.

From ABC News:

Pope Francis has dined with homeless people, made the cover of Time and Rolling Stone and now has blessed a parrot belonging to a male stripper.

The parrot, named Amore, was initially passed up by Pope Francis as he rode around in the popemobile during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square Wednesday.  Eventually, Francis went back to bless the bird and hold it on his finger.

The bird’s owner was identified as Francesco Lombardi, and according to ANSA, he’s a former male stripper turned erotic film actor.

“It was fun,” Lombardi told ANSA after meeting the pope. “A sort of mixing of the holy and the profane.”

Lombardi said Amore parroted back “Papa,” which the crowd was chanting at Pope Francis.

Lombardi, who has also been the head of the town council of Trezzano, near Milan, told ANSA that he attended the pope’s general audience with his wife and two daughters.