VATICAN — In a historic announcement, the Catholic Church has officially granted sainthood to Bandit Heeler, father of the titular character on the popular animated program Bluey . Bandit is both the first dog as well as the first animated fictional character to be granted sainthood.

"Bandit is one of the greatest examples of our Heavenly Father," said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni. "Though sainthood is typically only granted when someone has died, the fact that Bandit is a fictional character gave us the loophole we needed to make this move. Pope Francis is a huge Bluey fan himself, so he was quite eager to make this proclamation."

Bluey , an Australian program created specifically to be loved by parents and occasionally enjoyed by children, still stands as the finest depiction

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