Puck — February 27, 1878 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Papal Fish: Italy Again Comes In for the Pickings" This is a satirical cartoon depicting Pope Leo XIII as an octopus wearing a papal mitre (bishop's hat). The octopus's tentacles extend toward labeled regions: "In Phalanx Infidelium" (Africa), and what appears to be references to Australia and other territories. The satire critiques the Catholic Church's expanding missionary and colonial ambitions during the late 19th century. The octopus metaphor suggests the Church is overreaching, spreading its influence across multiple continents. The caption "Italy Again Comes In for the Pickings" implies the Italian state and Church were competing for territorial or political advantage, likely referencing ongoing tensions between the papacy and the newly unified Italian nation over temporal power and influence.