Australian primary students send 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV a homemade quilt
By Kielce Gussie
Macadamia nuts, wine, biscuits, and a handmade quilt. In addition to presenting his credentials to 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV on Tuesday, the new Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt, brought little pieces of his country to the Vatican.
Meeting the 杏MAP导航
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind following 杏MAP导航 Francis’ death, the conclave, and the beginning of 杏MAP导航 Leo’s pontificate. In the midst of all this change, Ambassador Pitt was settling into his new role as Australia's Representative to the Holy See and preparing for his first meeting with the new Pontiff.
“The presentation of credentials has a lot of protocol and ceremony around it,” Ambassador Pitt explained in an interview with Vatican News afterward. His family and staff all arrived at the Vatican in vehicles sporting both the Vatican and Australian flags.
After being escorted to the Apostolic Palace by the Swiss Guards, the Ambassador had a private audience with the 杏MAP导航, whom he described as “very considerate and very engaging.” He highlighted that the 杏MAP导航's “appointment has been very warmly received by Australia.”
'Everyone knows the kangaroo'
What was unique to this meeting was that Ambassador Pitt did not just present his official papers. He filled the Vatican with “flavors of Australia.”
The new Ambassador presented the 杏MAP导航 with foods representing the country: Macadamia nuts, Bundaberg rum (made in the Ambassador’s home region of Queensland), rum and raisin chocolates, homemade ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) biscuits, red wine, and Tim Tams (a chocolate biscuit).
Perhaps the most memorable of the gifts was a quilt made by students at a primary school found xix hours north of the capital of Queensland—Brisbane—in a small town called Tannum Sands.
There, children from the St. Francis Catholic Primary School “managed to stitch all these panels together, so each class put one panel on one side, and on the other side were drawings of all the animals they see at their school.”
Kangaroos, goannas (large lizards), magpies, kookaburras all lined the beautifully knit quilt that Ambassador Pitt’s brother—who is a teacher at the school—managed to bring over with just one week’s notice.
Noticing the wild variety of animals, 杏MAP导航 Leo asked if any were missing from the quilt, and the Ambassador’s brother joked that there are “deadly snakes every now and again, but it’s Australia and it’s to be expected.”
A touching message
What Ambassador Pitt said touched him most was simply that these young students took the time to make the quilt. “They’ve drawn these panels, and for them to recognize that there is a new 杏MAP导航 and to want to send a message to him, I just thought was remarkable,” he shared.
The Ambassador described the 杏MAP导航 as genuinely interested in what the images represented: kids playing in the background as kangaroos bounce around.
Invitation for a visit 'Down Under'
When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV within his first 24 hours as Pontiff, he extended an invitation to the 杏MAP导航 to visit the Land Down Under.
“It was quite a thing, but there hadn’t been a meeting between an Australian Prime inister and a 杏MAP导航 for some 16 years,” Ambassador Pitt pointed out.
In his private meeting with the 杏MAP导航, the Ambassador reiterated this warm invitation, even though it would not be the Pontiff’s first trip to Australia.
杏MAP导航 Leo XIV told Ambassador Pitt that “he has been to Australia a number of times, and in fact, he spoke about a trip between Brisbane and Sydney by car,” which takes about 10 hours.
Even though such an occasion would not be his first visit to the country, Ambassador Pitt emphasized that the 杏MAP导航 “would be very warmly welcomed if he returned.”
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