12-06-2014, 09:01 PM
Well said, Cibach! I agree totally with you. Catherine, as you know I don't subscribe to any organised religion, but this announcement is very important in terms of how Catholics view animals. So I have found three websites reporting this story. I will give them all, although they are very similar, in case there is a problem with the links, as Catherine reported above:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/544...as-present
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...stmas.html
and
http://www.inquisitr.com/1657599/pope-fr...to-heaven/
I do not know where Pope Francis got the story of Paul comforting a small boy, crying after the passing of his dog. In my mis-spent youth (well, that's how I describe it these days, LOL) I studied Theology and there is no such account in the New Testament nor in any other traditional source that I know. But I'm not going to quibble. Pope Francis' heart is in the right place.
I hope that this announcement by the new Pope will cause those Catholics who disregarded animal welfare to change their views.
It is the ultimate human ego-trip to suppose that we are so special, and other animals so unimportant, that we humans are the only ones to have eternal souls. All animals, human or otherwise, have equal status and possess the life force of the Universe. We all pass, without exceptions or "ifs" or "buts" to the astral.
I'm glad that you found this piece of news, Catherine. I will be updating my website to include this latest development in the Catholic viewpoint, on my "Views of world religions" page.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/544...as-present
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...stmas.html
and
http://www.inquisitr.com/1657599/pope-fr...to-heaven/
I do not know where Pope Francis got the story of Paul comforting a small boy, crying after the passing of his dog. In my mis-spent youth (well, that's how I describe it these days, LOL) I studied Theology and there is no such account in the New Testament nor in any other traditional source that I know. But I'm not going to quibble. Pope Francis' heart is in the right place.
I hope that this announcement by the new Pope will cause those Catholics who disregarded animal welfare to change their views.
It is the ultimate human ego-trip to suppose that we are so special, and other animals so unimportant, that we humans are the only ones to have eternal souls. All animals, human or otherwise, have equal status and possess the life force of the Universe. We all pass, without exceptions or "ifs" or "buts" to the astral.
I'm glad that you found this piece of news, Catherine. I will be updating my website to include this latest development in the Catholic viewpoint, on my "Views of world religions" page.
