No new column this week.  New column September 11.

Over the past few weeks, this column has discussed many interesting points about the Vatican; however, I have not written much about the most important man who rules that tiny country and is the head of the Catholic Church.  I thought it might be interesting this week to pass along a little trivia about Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI was the youngest of three children, whose father, Joseph Sr., was a police officer.  His brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, is a retired priest.  Pope Benedict’s sister Maria was his housekeeper until she died at the age of 69.

Before he was elected pope, while he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, home was an apartment in a Vatican-owned building at the edge of the Borgo neighborhood in Rome.  It was here that he would often stop for a meal in his neighborhood or for coffee, just like you or I would.

With his status in the world and the Church, it is easy for us to forget that the Pope is still an ordinary man—a person with likes and dislikes.  Here are a few of Benedict’s favorite things.

Pope Benedict enjoys languages and is fluent in German, English, Italian, French, and Spanish and has a knowledge of Portuguese.  Perhaps speaking so many languages explains his need for his six email addresses; each one of them begins with the name Benedict.  And continuing in the computer field, he is the first pope to own an iPod.

Books are another favorite thing of the Holy Father.  Yes, he has access to any item he wishes in the Vatican library, but that aside, he has 20,000 books in his personal library—many of them in the various languages he speaks.

The rumor mill says that while Benedict prefers fresh squeezed-orange juice, he loves Fanta orange soda as well.  His favorite meal is Bavarian potato ravioli with pancake strips. 

Among his other likes, he loves classical music as well, and according to those in the know, this pope plays the piano for a few minutes each day.  He has a preference for Mozart and Beethoven.

Have you ever noticed that quite often you find yourself doing the same thing at the same time each day?  Well Pope Benedict is no different.  Every day, at exactly 4pm, he walks in the Vatican Gardens, an area that is normally off limits to to tourists.

Perhaps one of Benedict’s most interesting likes is his love of cats.  As a matter of fact, before he became pope, he used to feed the stray cats that lurked around his building in Rome, but no pets are allowed in the Apostolic Palace.  Because of his love for cats, one of the hottest selling tourist items in Rome is a little cardinal hat for cats that sells for $15.00.  Belive it or not, the Holy Father still has stuffed animals his mother made for him when he was a child.               

As a former airline pilot, I was very surprised to find out that Pope Benedict XVI has a pilot’s license, and often flies the papal helicopter from the Vatican to the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.  Speaking of licenses, the pope does not have a driver’s license as he never learned to drive a car.

Have a great week and may God bless each and every one of you.

Jim Beane