Vicar, where’s your pussy? Hilarious moment cathedral cat disappears inside the Dean of Canterbury’s cassock as he records morning prayers
- Leo the cat appears in the Dean of Canterbury’s morning prayer video
- While the Very Revd Dr Robert Willis is speaking Leo disappears under his robes
- The clergyman manages to keeps a straight face throughout and carries on
Curiosity took this cat into a cassock as he interrupted a morning prayer recording with a hilarious appearance that has made the video one of Canterbury Cathedral’s most popular.
While the Dean of Canterbury was recording his sermon Leo the cat casually made his entrance sauntered across the grass.
But his exit was far funnier as he vanished under the Very Revd Dr Robert Willis’s robes.
The Dean of Canterbury was recording his morning prayers video when Leo the cat, oblivious to the serious message he was interrupting, entered the frame
Somehow the Dean kept a straight face and continued his sermon as if nothing was happening.
The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis’s daily prayers usually get around 2,000 views but Leo’s appearance sent this recording soaring up to 100,000 views.
Canterbury Cathedral shared the clip of the incident, which happened last week, on Twitter on Saturday.
A Cathedral spokesman said while Leo is ‘undoubtedly the comedian’ of the Deanery’s four cats, he nonetheless takes his role as an ambassador ‘very seriously’.
He added: ‘He has been enjoying making our daily broadcasts since March and, whilst he would be happy to be in every one, we have tried to include the others to prevent them getting jealous.
‘With over 20,000 visitors to the Deanery and its gardens each year – and over 1.5 million to the cathedral – he is used to being on show and, having been born in the Deanery and growing up here, he is very used to company and is a very friendly and happy little cat (if not the brightest of the four).
The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis keeps a straight face and continues delivering his sermon as Leo hilariously disappears into his robes
‘He loves to socialise with the cathedral’s many pilgrims and visitors and takes his role as ambassador very seriously.
‘In calmer times he finds a cosy place in the house or sunny spot in the gardens to sleep.’
Even without Leo’s impromptu appearances, the Kent cathedral’s online services have proved extremely popular during lockdown to provide comfort and solace in difficult times.
The cathedral’s Easter Day Eucharist – which featured recordings by the Prince of Wales and the Archbishop of Canterbury – was viewed more than 11,000 times.