Pope Francis, An Advocate For Animals, Bends The Rules To Bless A Guide Dog

A visually impaired Italian radio journalist and his guide dog got some unprecedented access to Pope Francis when the newly-elected pope saw the pair in a crowd and asked to meet the duo, setting the stage for the reign of a new pontiff with a deep love of animals.

Alessandro Forlani, a journalist for Italian RAI radio, and his companion Asià , a yellow Labrador Retriever, were in the Vatican's Paul VI audience hall amid a crowd of journalists covering the election of the new pope on Saturday, March 16, Discovery News reported.

For Forlani, even getting in to the audience hall was a challenge, as pets are not allowed in the Vatican.

"As I waited in line to enter the hall, the security guards told me that most likely I wouldn't be allowed to get in with the dog," Forlani wrote on his Facebook page.

"But after a few minutes, Vatican officials gave me the green light and I was accompanied by a Swiss guard to the audience hall. They let me sat near the first row of seats."

After the pope finished his speaking to the crowd, a select group of media notables were given an audience with the pope. Forlani sat with Asià   as the scene progressed until he was approached by Vatican officials.

"They said that Pope Francis had asked to meet me. He had seen Asià and wanted to see both of us," Forlani said, according to Discovery News.

Pope Francis spoke with Forlani as the dog briefly sniffed the pontiff's robe and shoes.

Forlani asked that his wife and daughter be blessed, the report stated, then the pope bent down and pet Asià.

"[The pope] said, 'and a special blessing for [your] dog too.' He broke the ceremonial rules as my presence on stage with Asià wasn't previously arranged," Forlani said.

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio took the name of St. Francis, it was a first for many reasons. Bergoglio was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope and the first to choose the name Francis.

St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals, merchants and ecology. Animal lovers around the world took note when the pope chose the name of Fancis, hoping it would be a boon for animal rights.

PETA has written to the pope asking him to be an advocate for animals.

"Because of unholy abuse on factory farms and slaughterhouses, we've asked Pope Francis to ensure that no factory-farmed meat, eggs, or dairy products are served at the Vatican and to offer as many meat-free meals as possible," PETA wrote on its website.

Pope Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, was reportedly a cat lover, but was not allowed to have his two cats at his Vatican residence, where caged birds and animals are not allowed.