A male monastery in Cochabamba, Bolivia has recently welcomed a new member in the community, monk Carmelo. But here’s the catch: the new monk isn’t actually human, it’s an incredibly cute and adorable little pup.
The four-legged monk has even received its own friar robe and it’s about the most adorable thing you’ve seen today.
Carmelo has received quite a makeover ever since he arrived in in the Franciscan monastery. He also received his own holy name Friar Bigotón to make him feel just at home in the monastery. Funnily enough, Friar Bigotón roughly translates to “Brother Mustache”, which seems absolutely perfect for this adorable pup.
His brothers in the monastery equipped him with a tailor made outfit – also referred to as a Franciscan habit – so that he’d fit right in with the rest of his brothers.
“His life is all about playing and running,” friar Jorge Fernandez told The Dodo. “Here, all of the brothers love him very much. He is a creature of God.”
Members of the monastery also posted a bunch of pictures with brother Carmelo on their Facebook pages, and the photographs are just as funny as you’d expect.
You can see Carmelo – or rather Friar Bigotón – engaging in a bunch of fun and diverse activities such as running around the monastery, bonding with the other members and apparently “preaching to the fish” is also one of the dog’s favorite things to do.
Before Carmelo was welcomed into the monastery, he was a stray cat and survived on the streets. Luckily, the local rescue organization Proyecto Narices Frias picked him up from the streets and gave him a place he could call home.
The monastery in Cochabamba and the rescue organization hope that the story about Carmelo inspires others to do exactly the same. This story is absolutely heartwarming and funny at the same time, and the rescuers and monks invite other religious groups to take in a stray animal themselves.
“If only all the churches of our country adopt a dog and care for him like Friar Bigotón, we are sure that the parishioners would follow his example,” a member of the organization posted on Facebook.
In any case, the story of brother Friar Bigotón surely is remarkable. The adorable Carmelo has found an unlikely, yet extremely warm and welcoming place where he could truly be happy and most importantly – home.
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