My fellow animal lovers, it’s time to quit singing praises for the Pope. It turns out Pope Francis has backed away from his alleged statement that (non-human) animals have souls and that our bygone pets (God rest their souls) will be waiting for us in Heaven (presumably with leash at the ready, for us to take them on a long-overdue poody walk).
Whether Pope Francis said that last week or not, the very idea that pets go to heaven has been vehemently denied by Vatican commentators. How would humankind ever square that with their notions of superiority and sense of entitlement to preferential Heavenly treatment?
But the Pope did recently do right by our biological underlings in proclaiming his belief in Evolution and the Big Bang Theory. God is no ‘magician with a magic wand,’ he quickly added, being sure to assign ultimate credit to the mystical one created in Man’s image. (As to whether magicians are gods he wouldn’t divulge.)
Collective Evolution reported, “Pope Francis continues to shake-up the Christian world with his latest public revelation, announcing that evolution and the big bang theory are in fact real, Speaking to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, [Wait, what? Pontifical sciences? Isn’t that an oxymoron?] Pope Francis’s words lessened the divide between the Christian faith and science with his shocking assertion about mankind’s evolution.”
The fact that originators of the Big Bang Theory never mentioned Heaven or its approximate location within the boundless Universe doesn’t seem to matter to His Holiness, but evidently there’s limited acreage within its gates since non-humans are not officially allowed in. Apparently they still haven’t evolved a savable soul.
Exposing the Big Game 
No surprise that the Vatican is backtracking. People who value animals and work to make this world a better place for them should not look for help to the Catholic Church, to Christianity in general, or to most religions except Jainism. (Confession: I’m an ex-Catholic who left the Church after years of fighting that organization’s indifference to animal suffering and its insistence on human superiority. So I will speak primarily to that Church).
The Church will never give up on human exceptionalism because of the changes and sacrifices that would require. Granting animals moral standing and abandoning the current unbridgeable gulf between them and humans would also mean abandoning the exploitation that remains a basis of human profit and pleasure. If the Church condemned abuses as egregious as bullfighting, slaughtering, hunting/trapping, rodeos, furs, etc., there would be a revolution among the unwilling faithful, something the organization would not risk. But the Church is more concerned about its earthly power and on ensuring that people stay indoctrinated in traditional theology and biblical dominionism and remain compliant and contributing members of the congregation. Animals have no voice, no power, no money and thus no consideration.
People who want to help animals should act because it is the right thing to do and not rely on religion for help or approval. They need to think for themselves and be willing to abandon a belief system and rituals that they have grown accustomed to and depend on. They have to ask uncomfortable questions about God: What kind of an all-just and all-merciful God would create the animals to be used and abused by human beings at will. What kind of an all-just and all-merciful God would not punish human beings for the animal suffering and misery they cause. What kind of a deity would then deny those animals a soul and an afterlife to make up for their pain in this world. Why would a God deserving of worship allow such suffering of the innocent with no condign punishment for the tormentors?
With its long and dismal history regarding animals, I ignore the Vatican’s pontificating. I hope more and more others will do so too.
I’d like to tell him where he can put his anti-animal pontifications.
The church is a rigid structure and that is the anchor. Anyone can take their own path within it. Why are you so bitter?
The Pope never said anything about animals going to heaven. Last December, to celebrate his birthday, 800 kilos of chickens were slaughtered (pictures and articles are in Italian media). The Pope never replied to our requests: he chose the name of a vegetarian saint, he should follow the example.
Last but not at all least: yesterday in Vatican there were thousands of poor farm animals, blessed by the pope together with the farmers.
Sorry, but I keep repeating what every other Italian activist says: the pope doesn’t care for the animals
This is why I stopped fallowing religion a long time ago.
Well, at least it’s a positive step. No other religious leader has done such a thing, and his message reaches many people. I was a little dismayed that the concept of ‘animals having souls’ became such an issue with the news media. It would seem to be a no-brainer if a higher being created them. We’re not a logical species.
Of course animals have souls! 🙂
I’ve always like to think of it as animals are innocent and free from sin, only mankind needs to atone for sin. And no, it’s not the kind that bible thumpers are constanting harping on, but greed, selfishness and destruction. Nice to know that God isn’t even on our side now. Reminds me of one of my favorite Nina Simone songs :):
♫Sinnerman, you oughtta be prayin’…..♪
For what it is worth…I have seen a number of ghost cats here. I have a cat sanctuary and housecats as well. A few I have seen after their death-so it stands to reason that animals have souls-I have never doubted it. Go easy on the poor pope and the benighted Catholic church. There is so much that is beautiful about that religion-the iconography and the grace behind it.