#London cathedral holds funeral service for beloved resident cat

A beloved cat who spent 12 years living at a London cathedral after starting as a stray received a funeral service worthy of royalty, according to reports.

Doorkins Magnificat, who made the Southwark Cathedral along the River Thames her permanent home in 2008, passed away Sept. 30.

In tribute to the famous feline — who met Queen Elizabeth II, was featured in a children’s book and was a star in social media — Dean Andrew Nunn hosted a livestreamed memorial service this week, the Guardian reported.

“She was enormously popular and had a massive Twitter following — and was also the focus of a lot of people’s visits to the cathedral,” Nunn told CNN.

“When she died, the response was huge, and we knew we had to do something — there was no way in which we could just ignore the fact — and why would you, we loved her, and she gave a lot to our life. It felt entirely appropriate,” he added.

The small tabby was laid to rest Wednesday in the churchyard after the service under the Gothic cathedral’s majestic arches.

“In more normal times, we often host memorial services for the great and the good. But I don’t think there’s ever been a service for a cat,” Nunn told the congregation, according to the Guardian.

Over the years, Doorkins became a common site to churchgoers — whether sprawling across the pews, walking along the altar during service or catnapping in the hay of the Nativity scene during Christmas.

When she became blind and deaf last year, Doorkins was moved into the home of a church official, who looked after her until she died peacefully.

Many people thanked Nunn on social media for the “wonderful” and “touching” service for the furry friend.

Kate Bottley said the service had allowed her to mourn her late aunt, CNN reported.

“I hadn’t cried yet, until today. I watched this and cried and cried and cried, because you know what? This wasn’t about a cat. It’s ok if you don’t get it, it’s ok if you think it’s silly, but for me this helped, it really helped,” she said in a tweet.

Not everyone found the service appropriate, however, including one bishop who described it as “insensitive,” given the coronavirus pandemic having made it difficult for people to hold funerals for loved ones.

“Is this a joke?” tweeted Philip North, the bishop of Burnley. “I do hope so. If not it’s grossly insensitive to bereaved families and those ministering to them in the NW under the regional coronavirus restrictions.”

But Nunn told CNN he had “no regrets” about the service, adding that most people said they had shed tears watching the livestream.

“There’s such a lot of emotion around at the moment, and sometimes, something like that can just release it for people … It was heartwarming as well as emotional,” he said.

“People came in and they wouldn’t necessarily be churchgoers, but they’d come in to find the cat — and I think that they found themselves very welcome. Ending up in a sacred space and spending time with a cat was good for people,” Nunn added.