Blessing of the Lambs on St. Agnes's Day

The new youtube channel of the Holy See allows us to take a look at the blessing of the lambs on the Feast of St. Agnes, virgin (lamb decorated in white) and martyr (lamb decorated in red), the wool of which will be used to make this year's pallia which will be bestowed on the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul on June 29th upon the metropolitan archbishops appointed since last year's Feast. To watch the clip click here (embedding is not possible). If you permit me a personal observation I find the obvious love of animals which the Holy Father displays most endearing. At the end of the clip you see the Pope receiving the Honorary Citizenship of Mariazell, the great Marian Shrine of Central Europe which he visited in 2007 for its 850 year jubilee (please, let us spread a blanket of charitable silence over the vestments worn on said occasion).