Holy cow! Protesting Italian farmers bring bovine to mass with the pope

Farmers say pontiff’s blessing will give them strength in their fight to save their industry

Italian farmers who were invited, along with a cow called Ercolina II, to mass at the Vatican amid ongoing Europe-wide agricultural protests have said the blessing from Pope Francis would give them the strength “to win the game”.

The farmers, their tractor and Ercolina II, who also made an appearance at the recent Sanremo music festival, were among the worshippers gathered in St Peter’s Square for the pontiff’s Sunday Angelus.