What's the message? That it's better to have a friend than an enemy?
There's some truth to the story I'm sure...but that wolves talk? No. You tell that story to kids today and they also won't believe anything else you tell them about Jesus and our faith. No need to embellish.
I agree about the Pope. But he's still so loved by everyone here...well not everyone (never say every),,,MOST persons here are in love with him. That Piazza down in Rome, Piazza San Pietro, is always filled to the brim. When bus tours take off from here they're always full. This was not true with Benedict.
I also agree fully with your last paragraph.
I would say that the story would not of been understood by myself when I was a child as well but only due to having the Holy Spirit.
It's been many years ago that I read that story, but the wolf does not have to speak in human words, but dogs do speak in there actions and make noises one can understand.
I went to a mates place that lives with his mum and dad, I only see him once a year like as it's a 4 hour drive, now they have a new dog and my mates mum came and said the dog was trying to tell her that some one was hear, not barking but making like worried perplexed noises, it's a true bread blue dog and they are real smart as are a Wolf they are a real smart dog.
When St Frances went and did this no one back in the day would of believed it, they thought that he would of been killed for sure, but Frances having a great understanding of humans and we are an animal as well, so it does not go beyond the bounds to understand other animals and it is this that why it got him the patron of such, but sadly this undermines him for what he truly was.
When one hunts down an animal, one has to know the nature of that animal, some years ago one could see with the Australian Aboriginals that they once taught the little ones how too in there dancing, but to 99% of white people they can not understand or have half a clue what the abos were truly doing, not to mention it's the same with what is now known as or claimed or making a claim as Abos nowadays because they are just like the white people are just to stupid to understand because they know nothing, as they do not live in that type of world to be able to fend for themselves and them true old generation Abos know full well not to even bother with 99% of white people, and they just have to dismiss them because there is no point talking such to them because of there ignorance and they did not show all of such to whites because of the whites total ignorance.
Pope Benedict is one of the greatest Catholics ever but the people have changed because the rot had set in within the RCC and all the others, Pope Ben was powerless to stop this as he has said and so did Pope JP2, the people and the priesthood did not listen to them, because many of the priest and people were shallow Christians, they love the worldly works more than Jesus Christ, only whips became Priest and would not stand up for Jesus Christ.
There was a undermining with in the church due to the Jesuits mainly who are just like the Freemasons and Jews who look to their own gods, so with all there influence on all denominations the rot set in, so now we have crap like people in the church claiming that the Jews are our salvation and the morons are swallowing it all and the fact is it is totally Satanic.