Father Guido Sarducci on David Letterman 1980s KCST San Diego

[music] Good to have you here. Thank you very much. [music] >> Thanks, [laughter] Paul. How you doing? >> Good to see you. >> Hey, good to see you. >> I enjoy having you on the show. I uh I'm quite fond of you. >> Well, thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Yeah. Have I noticed you have a little case there? >> You know, you didn't mention that I'm with the Vatican Zoo now. >> I didn't realize that. The Vatican Zoo. >> I'm doing some promotion for him. You know, the Vatican Zoo has been closed for 34 years and we're just opening up now to the public. That's good. >> Wanted to announce to the American people if they're coming to Rome, come to the Vatican, go to the zoo. >> It was a was a great zoo was closed in 1953. There was a scandal, big >> trouble. This fellow archbishop of Fong is his name. >> Fong >> Fong and there the big attraction for the zoo was this Fong, right? Fong is his name. >> There was a gorilla name of Bruno >> who was the main attraction of the Vatican zoo. Darn if a fun was I don't know what he was thinking of. He put his arm through the thing and Bruno pulls his arm >> you know and he got really injured pretty badly. He opened the cage. Bruno's loose in Romeo. >> The kids in Rome afraid to go out of their homes was a terrible the Vatican clo Vatican zoo closed down went underground. They took it through the catacombs is what happened and was just you know they made it just for the clergy. animals stop bre you know most large animals don't like to breathe in captivity anyway especially at if they're at the Vatican you know what I mean it's [laughter] you know who you know you're in the catacombs the St. Peters, you know, it's kind of like having your parents in the room or something. It's like, [laughter] >> you know, you could understand. >> I don't know. I can see that perfectly. Sure. >> So, most of the animals died out >> and and I want to tell people, you know, most of them are stuffed. Don't expect to see live ones, but if you're moving, >> it looks like they're moving. You're right. So, >> but they do there are some animals, and that's why I brought some. >> Whatever happened to Bruno? >> Bruno was No, it was very interesting. Bruno was they saw him around the Trevy Fountain. And they reported this sighting [laughter] of a Bruno. Eventually he he was in the mountains near Rome. >> Uhhuh. >> And was interesting that every day the zookeeper used to give him a cappuccino when he was in the in the zoo. They would put [snorts] outside his cage, you know, and he would, you know, like a chug lug it down, you know, every morning. So when he was loose in Rome, in the mountains around Rome, they put a cappuccino out there and and they noticed from they didn't know where they followed the tracks. He would come to get to the cappuccino and they made a net after a long time. It's like a, you know, what is it? Chumming. >> Chumming. >> Chuming. >> Yeah, chumming. Right. You cut up bait and looking for shark. >> It's kind of like illegal hunting. You know, it's a terrible way to do it. They feed like a pigs like that and they become a friendly. Then they club him over the head. Right. >> So, this was kind of like a chuming for a gorilla. You know, they put the cappuccino every day. Finally, he came, they dropped a net on him and they caught him and they sold him to the Dooldorf Zoo. [laughter] >> I don't know, you know, if he's still there or what. It's a long time ago. He's probably dead by now, but that's what happened. Well, that's an interesting story. But the the important thing is that the zoo is open. >> It's open to the public, thriving, flourishing. >> We're going to show some some of the zoo animals. >> Actually have animals from the zoo. >> I do have some I brought all the way from Italy. I appreciate you paying their way everything. It was kind of expensive. >> We wanted to have you on. >> Right. Well, thanks. >> This is a one of >> protective gloves, I guess. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> Here it comes. Okay. Come on. Take it easy now. This is Oh, that's okay. >> This is in English chicken in Italian. Polo, as you probably know from your menus, right? Polo. [laughter] >> It's a wonderful animal. H you could fix it a dozen different ways. [laughter] My favorite, well, not my favorite. Polo a roto. You know what is roast? Roast chicken. Sure. Also people know chicken kac kachator. It's [laughter] like with with olives and onions. You let it ste for a while. >> My favorite is something called chicken millazi. >> Oh, that sounds great. >> You know what is a chicken? >> Well, I think it's lightly breaded, isn't it? >> Right. It's like a veh, you know, ve breaded ve cut cuddling. It's like a chicken cutlery. You dip it in egg batter. >> Now, do you have these recipes posted there at the zoo? [laughter] >> No, we don't. I guess. Yeah. >> But the chicken uh chicken million is kind of like Venus snitle. It's kind of like a chicken snitle, I guess, is what you what you could call it. Going back in there. Okay. >> Well, that's one of the >> Well, he was good, wasn't he? He was great. It was good for him. >> It would be tough. >> I got off that one. >> Easy. Take it easy. [applause] I have another animal. >> I have more animals, >> sister. >> From the Vatican Zoo, >> right? >> Thank you for appreciate. Thanks a lot. Thank you very much, sister. >> Oh, he's on the side of the >> Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Now, that's a >> squirrel. >> That's a squirrel, >> right? Yeah. Is >> this a I must admit this was not an original occupant of the zoo, but these animals used to sneak into the zoo to eat animals food, the other ones. So, we decided why not incorporate them. You know what I mean? Sure. You got another exhibit there. That's right. Exactly. >> They're going to be there, >> right? And squirrels are very interesting cuz, you know, they eat the food kind of like we do. They take, you know, like we do sandwich. They eat like this. The difference is though, we put our food down between bites. They keep it in their hands, you know. That's [laughter] civilization in a nutshell. I guess you come down to So, that would be just about the only difference there. I I tell you what, I tell you what, father. We have four different breeds pretty much uh species, I guess. Long very long ears, right? >> Very very long ears. Long ears and pretty long ears. This is the [laughter] This is the pretty long ear. >> Pretty long ears. Yeah. >> Right. And this could be made at rabbit kacator in Italy. We have it rabbit catch. >> Right. >> I never heard of rabbit snits. >> But I bet you could do it. And you know something I like. They always say rabbit tasted like a chicken. Sure. >> And a point I would like to make if I could I don't know if you could see this, but isn't it amazing? >> You want me to open that for you? >> Could you? Yeah, I'll be happy >> if you wouldn't mind. I would. It's just amazing to me that two animals that could look so very very different could taste so very much the same. [laughter] >> God works in mysterious ways. >> It's amazing to me. Can't believe it. [applause] >> That's that's an interesting point and one you probably wouldn't have been aware of had you not reopened the zoo there. I don't think I would have. >> Yeah. Well, good luck in in that venture. That's that's very exciting. And speaking of exciting, this whole summer must have been quite exciting for you because >> was >> uh you were I I know covering the Pope's visit to to this country, right? Did you uh you must have gotten quite close to him, meet with him? Did you have an audience with the man? You >> almost almost a personal audience, but I did speak with him somewhat. I I went on the tour pretty much most of the tour San Antonio, Miami, LA, and San >> That must have been the thrill of a lifetime for you. >> It was it was a thrilling and it's interesting, you know, for people who wanted to see the pope, you know, everybody lined up. Some people waited six hours and and when he's going by in his Pope mobile, which is really like an aquarium on wheels, you know, let's face it, that's what it is. >> Now, does he does he call it that? Does he mind it being referred to as a Pope mobile? >> I don't think he minds a Pope mobile. Aquarium on wheels, I think he would [laughter] objective. That's what it is. You know what I mean? Yeah. But [laughter] it's amazing. I felt so bad for people. They're waiting out there for 5 hours and the Pope goes by and you're over there and he's looking this way. >> So, you're on the wrong side of the street. wrong side of the street >> for the second he goes by. >> Right. So, what you want to do is to try to be on the right side of the street. And especially, you know, if you go out there, you're waiting all day long and you look across the street and there's some Polish folk dancers. >> They're dressed in their native costumes. Which way you think he's going to look? >> Sure. That's that's a hint. Good to look right at the dancers. >> And the secret is to dress like that. >> Uhhuh. >> Or at least carry a Polish flag with you >> to have him look at you. >> Attention getter. >> Right. >> Exactly. >> And that's why I'm doing my report. Uh I was doing trying to interview him. Uh, now we have we have some video tape of of of you and the pope. Is that what we're going to say? >> And it's about jet the lag. It's my question. And and I had a Well, you'll see. >> You're talking to the Pope about jet lag. >> Jet the lag, right? This is in San Francisco and the Pope in San Francisco. >> Right. >> Well, this is it. It won't be long now. The Pope John Paul II will be coming by here. I'm with my friend Sam. We have brought some uh Polish flags which I know will stop the Pope Cold in his attraction. He's going to pull right over here. I'm going to jump over this and ask him my question about the jet lag. Sam, you know to Sam, you know, you should hold the flag up, wave it. So, we want to get his attention. >> Yeah. >> And then when he stops when he stops h >> then I'll jump out there. Okay. Okay. >> Okay. This is it. The pops mobile. Okay, Sam. Hey, [cheering] wave Sam. Wave, Sam. This is it. Look at all of these caps. Oh, here comes the pup. Where is Sam? Put it up in the air. Hey, you jag. J leg. J the [cheering] leg. Stop. He didn't stop. He really [cheering] blows right by, doesn't he? [applause] >> Wow. He was going 40 mph. You're you're you're busier than ever.