Posted on 12/11/2014 7:59:05 AM PST by Slings and Arrows
In his weekly address at the Vatican late last month, Pope Francis issued a remarkable statement that’s sure to come as welcome news to anyone who’s ever lost a beloved pet. According to Francis, the promise of an afterlife applies not only to believers, but to all animals as well.
"The Holy Scriptures teach us that the realization of this wonderful plan covers all that is around us, and that came out of the thought and the heart of God," Pope Francis said, as quoted by Italian news site Resapubblica.
The Pope then went on to say that “heaven is open to all creatures, and there [they] will be vested with the joy and love of God, without limits.”
Pope Francis’s stance on animals stands in contrast to that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who despite reportedly being a cat lover, said that animals’ existence was limited to their time on Earth. But Francis isn’t the first pontiff to take an animal-friendly approach to ideology. As newspaper Divisione la Repubblica notes, Pope John Paul II held a similar position, saying animals had a “divine breath.”
This isn’t the first time that Francis, who adopted his papal name in honor of the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi, has spoken out on behalf of nonhumans. In his first homily as pope, Francis articulated mankind’s role in serving not only the divine, but in all creatures born from it:
“The vocation of being a ‘protector,’ however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as St. Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live."
What you seem to be saying is that references to animals in Isiah are metaphorical not literal.
I understand. I’ve had to do the same, more than once. Just put your arms around him and tell him how much you love him while he falls asleep. I promise that you will never regret being there for him at the end.
I’m sorry to hear this.
Keep your hand on him until the end.
I couldn’t imagine life without my dogs.
Please get one. Preferably a rescue as they appreciate a home the most.
Please get one. Preferably a rescue as they appreciate a home the most.
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Absolutely.
Thank You i will.
He may of had a stroke these past few days.
It’s time..
:)
Alas, since college, I’ve lived in apartments, and while they would allow cats as pets, they are adamant no dogs allowed.
I may move in future, hopefully to a more pet friendly place when I’m 55 and over.
ARF!
Can I assume the goat is not a Cake fan? ;-)
In terms of Divine Breath, I'm with you on dog and cat breath. Also, once my cat ate some broccoli and had some not-so-divine wind!
But he was a wonderful Burmese cat and he passed away two years ago... I miss him so much... hope I make it to Heaven to see him.
The issue is not whether the animals will be in Paradise, it is whether we humans will.
One of my all-time favorite episodes.
"Aye, there's the rub."
My dear kitteh boy gives me passing marks, but barely. At 3 a.m, he was meowing around the house DEMANDING a clean litter box. Thing was, the old one was washed and had brand clean litter three days before. St Peter better not be so tough on us at the Pearly Gates.
Thank you for that, i watched it during dinner.
very touching.
I hope so.
Yes. Yes they would. Did you think they lick you out of affection? Ha!! They are tasting you in anticipation of your passing, and their opportunity!!!
LOL, I got a little worried when I saw one of them with the salt shaker. :)
Insects? Pet crickets like they have in China? I think the Pope is tlking about animals we have a bond with... dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the few random rabbits, ferrets, and descented skunks, etc.
Not Catholic, could care less what Catholic dogma etc says about animals not having souls, could care less what any denomination says.....
Nothing in the Bible says that animals dont have souls, in fact several scriptures speak of animals in heaven.
We dont read about the need for salvation for animals in the Bible because they have no sin, are NOT in need of forgiveness etc.
But everybody should remember that God loves his creation his animals more than any of us could pretend to love them.
To say that God does not give everlasting Life to animals is to think very lowly of God.
When you say that, anybody, you are saying God does not love the animals, or somehow you love them more than he does.
Nothing in the Bible to suggest that Animals do not have everlasting life, nowhere in the Bible does it say that.
So people that state they are not given eternal life are in my opinion not holding a very high opinion of God.
The Bible is focused on the salvation of man, the only reason that it is not covered in depth.
Yes I understand some say all animals go to heaven with a wink, hoping etc, but I tell you they do go to heaven and not out of a feel good moment etc
Yes they do, and BTW we should be looking after them better, it`s disgraceful what we are allowing to go on at so called “humane society`s” or “shelters”
Proverbs says a wise man looks after his animals, He knows when a sparrow falls etc
See #21.
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