Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal rights activists and vegans.
During a weekly general audience at the Vatican last month, the pope, speaking of the afterlife, appeared to suggest that animals could go to heaven, asserting, “Holy Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us.”
Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper, analyzing the pope’s remarks, concluded he believed animals have a place in the afterlife. It drew an analogy to comforting words that Pope Paul VI was said to have once told a distraught boy whose dog had died: “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”
—NYT, Dogs in Heaven? Pope Francis Leaves Pearly Gates Open
Yay, Pope Francis! It wouldn’t be much of a heaven for me if pets and other animals weren’t welcome too.
December 19, 2014
Comment from a nephew who is a Roman Catholic – “Man, this Pope is quite a dude!”
…and a dude shouldn’t be a Pope.
I think we need more popes like Pope Francis. 🙂
AMEN.
i believe what i want to believe. and i think animals have more of a right to go there than people.
we will never get the hang of unconditional love. and they already have it. tons of it.
i like this pope.
i liked him the first time he said he wanted a simple little room with a bed and a chair.
he’s my kind of pope. 🙂
I could actually be a catholic with this kind of pope.
I thought of you, tammy, when I wrote this post. 🙂
I agree – I don’t want to go to heaven if there aren’t dogs there!
I can’t picture you without your dogs!
I like this pope, too.
We’re all agreed. 🙂
But the Pope is a meat-eater, so how does he square that with animal rights?