Two peace doves released from Pope Francis’ window into St. Peter’s Square on Sunday were immediately attacked by a crow and a seagull.
One dove managed to pull away from melee, losing a few feathers, but eventually all flew off. It was unclear if the doves were hurt.
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The white doves were released by two children standing next to Pope Francis as part of the Vatican’s annual “Caravan of Peace” event that draws tens of thousands of people. Before the birds were set free, the Pope talked about achieving peace in Ukraine.
USA Today said it appeared the boy who released one of the doves was upset when they were attacked, leading Pope Francis to give him a hug and pat his head, although the older girl who let the other dove fly seemed amused by the situation.
The birds were also attacked when released last year, although it was just one crow and the doves escaped by flying back toward the Vatican.
The irony of the situation drew online comments.
“The Moral we learn from this, If we want to achieve World Peace, we should start by tackling World Hunger!” one person wrote on the USA Today story.
The media got in on the dark humor of the situation, with headlines like “Good Vs. Evil?” on the Independent’s Twitter account and “Angry Birds” from CNN.
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