“Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat,”
by Jeanne Perego, illustrated by Donata Dal Molin Casagrande.
Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2007, 32 pages, Grades 4-5.
Editor’s Note: This item originally appeared in the April 18, 2008, Register. It is reprinted on the occasion of the death of Benedict XVI.
On April 19, 2005, white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel. Habemus Papam! We have a Papa, a new pope.
A cardinal came to the balcony over St. Peter’s Square and took what seemed to be a long period of time in reading the announcement. At last, he said the new pope was Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. As Holy Father, he would be known as Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout the Catholic world, happiness erupted.
But who was this new pope? Everyone knew he was born in Germany, had been an advisor at Vatican II, and was a brilliant and renowned theologian. What else was there to be learned about this white-haired, charitable cardinal? In this delightful children’s book, we learn many things about the life of the future Pope Benedict XVI. It is all told from the viewpoint of his pet cat, which gives a charm and innocence to the story.
The cat’s name is Chico. As his beautiful golden, ginger-colored fur indicates, Chico is a tabby cat. Chico tells us that on the freezing night of April 16, 1927, the third child of Maria and Josef Ratzinger was born.
Baptized the next day, the child was named Joseph Aloysius. The day was so cold that little Joseph’s older brother and sister could not attend the baptism. Mr. Ratzinger was a policeman and was transferred to different towns several times during Joseph’s childhood.
By the time Joseph was ready to start school, he had already discovered the beauty of music and the piano. As a young boy, he loved playing the piano and was captivated by the music of Mozart. During the playing, Chico would get excited and start walking on the keyboard, much to Joseph’s displeasure. Being a cat, Chico didn’t quite know what to make of Mozart. He did know that he had better dreams after listening to Mozart.
As the years passed, Joseph began excelling in school. One of the languages he learned was Latin. Joseph’s Latin ability became so superb that he could speak the language. Chico himself thought that Latin study was best suited to cat words, such as “mus” for mouse, and “sinus” for cat food bowl.
As Joseph Ratzinger grew older, he began to study difficult subjects in high school. Like Chico, Joseph did not like the two-hour daily gym class. All those push-ups, stretching exercises and jumping were tiring. Chico felt that you should stay in shape to catch a mouse or a grasshopper.
At the end of his high school days, and much to Joseph’s horror, he was drafted into the German Army during World War II. With the collapse of the Nazis, the war soon ended. But Joseph was captured and placed in a prisoner of war (POW) camp. There were 50,000 other POWs in this camp. Luckily for Joseph, he was soon released and was able to return to his Bavarian homeland. Having just turned 18 years old, Joseph’s life began to unfold.
What happens to Joseph? Where did he study in Germany? Why did he decide to become a priest? What hardships did he overcome during his seminary days?
Why did the Church make him a bishop and then a cardinal? Why is a bear on his coat of arms? And finally, why does Chico so gladly share his good friend Joseph Ratzinger with people today?
To find out, read this absolutely delightful account of the life of Pope Benedict XVI.
