Il Papa Francesco: animals go to heaven

[Statistikhengst]

This sure sounds like a shift in church doctrine, but I'm not so sure:

Pope Francis Animals go to heaven - FOX 32 News Chicago

During his weekly address in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis comforted a young boy who was distraught over the recent death of his dog by telling him, "One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ," the 77-year leader of the Roman Catholic Church said, according to Time. "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."

The statement by the pope was welcomed by animal rights groups and humane societies across the globe, who see it as a repudiation of traditional Catholic teaching dating back hundreds of years that holds that animals can't go to heaven because they have no souls.

"My inbox got flooded," Christine Gutleben, senior director of faith outreach at the Humane Society, the largest animal protection group in the United States, told the New York Times. "Almost immediately, everybody was talking about it."

Some Catholic scholars, however, have warned that the Pope's comment was made casually and should not be taken as official Church doctrine. Others point to earlier comments that seem to suggest that Pope Francis has long held beliefs that animals can go to heaven.

Here's a pretty good site that makes some thought-provoking points:

Do animals go to Heaven Bibleinfo.com


Here is a link that references the catechism of the Roman Catholic Church on the issue:

Pets in Heaven

This is the reason they give:

One principle is that all living things have a soul. Here soul is defined as what makes an organic body live. Now when any living thing dies, its soul is separated from its body. In the case of plants and animals the soul goes out of existence. But in the case of man, the soul remains in existence because it is a spiritual or immaterial thing. Consequently, it differs from the souls of animals in two important respects. First, it is the seat of intelligence or reason. For this reason a man is held responsible for his actions in a way that animals are not. Secondly, the soul is immortal. A thing which has no physical parts cannot fall apart or be poisoned or be crushed or be put out of existence. For this reason the souls of the saved will always be aware of themselves as enjoying the vision of God for all eternity. This enjoyment will be the result of having chosen to act on earth in such a way that one did the will of God rather than one's own will. And the souls of the damned will be aware of themselves as never attaining this vision of God because they have shown by their lives on earth that they did not wish this vision but instead preferred their own will.

In the light of this essential difference between human beings and animals, it would seem that we would not see the souls of our pets in heaven for the simple reason that they do not have immortal souls and are not responsible for their actions. They do not have the intelligence which allows them to choose either God's will or their own will. There is, then, an incomparable distance, say, between the soul of the sorriest human being who ever lived and the most noble brute animal that ever walked the earth.

Now a child might be heartbroken at the thought that he will never see his pet again. He cannot yet understand this explanation about the difference between the human and the animal soul. I suppose that one could tell the child that when he hopefully gets to heaven, he could ask God to see his old pets if he still wished to. There would be no harm in that. For we know that when a person finally sees God, he will not be concerned with seeing old pets or favorite places but rather will be captured in the complete fulfillment of the joy of which old pets and favorite places are but little signs. We adults know that, even if the child does not.

What say you?

 

[Judicial review]

Who gives a damn?

 

[aaronleland]

Does that mean that animals can also go to Hell? God, I hope so. My cat is an asshole.

 

[Judicial review]

Does that mean that animals can also go to Hell? God, I hope so. My cat is an asshole.

Cats are from the underworld.

 

[September]

Perhaps animals go through cycles of reincarnation, even experiencing Life as a human before reincarnating again or eventually moving on to experience an afterlife in the Heavens somewhere, where they are free to take any form they please from any of their past lives.

Or perhaps "Heaven" can draw upon the power of our subconscious memories to present to us an experience unique to each individual, based on our happiest and most positive encounters in Life, and because some people have happy memories of their animals, friends and families, perhaps those things manifest in their experience of Heaven.


​

 

[DriftingSand]

The Bible doesn't actually say way one way or the other. I would like to believe that the souls of pets would reach Heaven but wouldn't bank on it.

Do pets animals go to Heaven Do pets animals have souls

 

[Penelope]

This sure sounds like a shift in church doctrine, but I'm not so sure:

Pope Francis Animals go to heaven - FOX 32 News Chicago

During his weekly address in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis comforted a young boy who was distraught over the recent death of his dog by telling him, "One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ," the 77-year leader of the Roman Catholic Church said, according to Time. "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."

The statement by the pope was welcomed by animal rights groups and humane societies across the globe, who see it as a repudiation of traditional Catholic teaching dating back hundreds of years that holds that animals can't go to heaven because they have no souls.

"My inbox got flooded," Christine Gutleben, senior director of faith outreach at the Humane Society, the largest animal protection group in the United States, told the New York Times. "Almost immediately, everybody was talking about it."

Some Catholic scholars, however, have warned that the Pope's comment was made casually and should not be taken as official Church doctrine. Others point to earlier comments that seem to suggest that Pope Francis has long held beliefs that animals can go to heaven.

Here's a pretty good site that makes some thought-provoking points:

Do animals go to Heaven Bibleinfo.com


Here is a link that references the catechism of the Roman Catholic Church on the issue:

Pets in Heaven

This is the reason they give:

One principle is that all living things have a soul. Here soul is defined as what makes an organic body live. Now when any living thing dies, its soul is separated from its body. In the case of plants and animals the soul goes out of existence. But in the case of man, the soul remains in existence because it is a spiritual or immaterial thing. Consequently, it differs from the souls of animals in two important respects. First, it is the seat of intelligence or reason. For this reason a man is held responsible for his actions in a way that animals are not. Secondly, the soul is immortal. A thing which has no physical parts cannot fall apart or be poisoned or be crushed or be put out of existence. For this reason the souls of the saved will always be aware of themselves as enjoying the vision of God for all eternity. This enjoyment will be the result of having chosen to act on earth in such a way that one did the will of God rather than one's own will. And the souls of the damned will be aware of themselves as never attaining this vision of God because they have shown by their lives on earth that they did not wish this vision but instead preferred their own will.

In the light of this essential difference between human beings and animals, it would seem that we would not see the souls of our pets in heaven for the simple reason that they do not have immortal souls and are not responsible for their actions. They do not have the intelligence which allows them to choose either God's will or their own will. There is, then, an incomparable distance, say, between the soul of the sorriest human being who ever lived and the most noble brute animal that ever walked the earth.

Now a child might be heartbroken at the thought that he will never see his pet again. He cannot yet understand this explanation about the difference between the human and the animal soul. I suppose that one could tell the child that when he hopefully gets to heaven, he could ask God to see his old pets if he still wished to. There would be no harm in that. For we know that when a person finally sees God, he will not be concerned with seeing old pets or favorite places but rather will be captured in the complete fulfillment of the joy of which old pets and favorite places are but little signs. We adults know that, even if the child does not.

What say you?

You will find out after you die. If you go to heaven and see animals and pets there, then I guess so.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Who gives a damn?

Thinking, feeling people do.

I can understand why you don't.

 

[Taz]

The Doomsday pope wants animals to go to heaven so that he'll have something to eat.

But personally, hell must be full of barking dogs.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

If all people had the same qualities as my dog, we wouldn't even have to worry about a hell.

Loyalty, sweetness, devotion, -- these are in tremendously short supply in people, so perhaps we should be patterning ourselves after our dogs as a way to get there, instead. They will surely be there waiting for us, if so.

 

[Roadrunner]

The Bible doesn't actually say way one way or the other. I would like to believe that the souls of pets would reach Heaven but wouldn't bank on it.

Do pets animals go to Heaven Do pets animals have souls

What about goldfish?

Can God find the ones flushed down toilets?

Will He even look?

I tell ya, this new Pop Pope is a trip.

 

[Meriweather]

The Bible doesn't actually say way one way or the other. I would like to believe that the souls of pets would reach Heaven but wouldn't bank on it.

Do pets animals go to Heaven Do pets animals have souls

What about goldfish?

Can God find the ones flushed down toilets?

Will He even look?

I tell ya, this new Pop Pope is a trip.

Some American Indian tribes also held the belief both people and animals had spirits that traveled on to the next world after death. While it is debated whether among Native Americans themselves, this was known as the "Happy Hunting Grounds" or a phrase coined by Europeans upon hearing of the belief that spirits of animals also travel on, it seems to be a question that has long interested mankind.

I agree with those who say we can't really know, but I am one who would love to find all kinds of animal spirits with us in a heavenly abode.

As this is not doctrine, various Catholics (including Popes) have held (and will continue to hold) differing opinions on this.

 

[April]

Does that mean that animals can also go to Hell? God, I hope so. My cat is an asshole.

 

[JoeB131]

What say you?

You know, when I grew up, and my favorite dog got put down because she was 15 years old, the nuns ABSOLUTELY INSISTED that dogs didn't go to heaven because they didn't have souls.

 

[hazlnut]

This sure sounds like a shift in church doctrine, but I'm not so sure:

Pope Francis Animals go to heaven - FOX 32 News Chicago

During his weekly address in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis comforted a young boy who was distraught over the recent death of his dog by telling him, "One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ," the 77-year leader of the Roman Catholic Church said, according to Time. "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."

The statement by the pope was welcomed by animal rights groups and humane societies across the globe, who see it as a repudiation of traditional Catholic teaching dating back hundreds of years that holds that animals can't go to heaven because they have no souls.

"My inbox got flooded," Christine Gutleben, senior director of faith outreach at the Humane Society, the largest animal protection group in the United States, told the New York Times. "Almost immediately, everybody was talking about it."

Some Catholic scholars, however, have warned that the Pope's comment was made casually and should not be taken as official Church doctrine. Others point to earlier comments that seem to suggest that Pope Francis has long held beliefs that animals can go to heaven.

Here's a pretty good site that makes some thought-provoking points:

Do animals go to Heaven Bibleinfo.com


Here is a link that references the catechism of the Roman Catholic Church on the issue:

Pets in Heaven

This is the reason they give:

One principle is that all living things have a soul. Here soul is defined as what makes an organic body live. Now when any living thing dies, its soul is separated from its body. In the case of plants and animals the soul goes out of existence. But in the case of man, the soul remains in existence because it is a spiritual or immaterial thing. Consequently, it differs from the souls of animals in two important respects. First, it is the seat of intelligence or reason. For this reason a man is held responsible for his actions in a way that animals are not. Secondly, the soul is immortal. A thing which has no physical parts cannot fall apart or be poisoned or be crushed or be put out of existence. For this reason the souls of the saved will always be aware of themselves as enjoying the vision of God for all eternity. This enjoyment will be the result of having chosen to act on earth in such a way that one did the will of God rather than one's own will. And the souls of the damned will be aware of themselves as never attaining this vision of God because they have shown by their lives on earth that they did not wish this vision but instead preferred their own will.

In the light of this essential difference between human beings and animals, it would seem that we would not see the souls of our pets in heaven for the simple reason that they do not have immortal souls and are not responsible for their actions. They do not have the intelligence which allows them to choose either God's will or their own will. There is, then, an incomparable distance, say, between the soul of the sorriest human being who ever lived and the most noble brute animal that ever walked the earth.

Now a child might be heartbroken at the thought that he will never see his pet again. He cannot yet understand this explanation about the difference between the human and the animal soul. I suppose that one could tell the child that when he hopefully gets to heaven, he could ask God to see his old pets if he still wished to. There would be no harm in that. For we know that when a person finally sees God, he will not be concerned with seeing old pets or favorite places but rather will be captured in the complete fulfillment of the joy of which old pets and favorite places are but little signs. We adults know that, even if the child does not.

What say you?

The arrogance of man and the so-called religious "leaders" to think that they can understand and explain to the rest of us the nature of God, Heaven, and the soul.

The Pope does best when he leads by example, caring for the sick and poor.

 

[April]

What say you?

You know, when I grew up, and my favorite dog got put down because she was 15 years old, the nuns ABSOLUTELY INSISTED that dogs didn't go to heaven because they didn't have souls.

They have souls, if they didn't they wouldn't love us as unconditionally as they do, or have their own unique personalities.

I know my cats have souls...without a doubt.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"Do animals go to heaven?"

Only dogs.

 

[Dajjal]

I attended many trance lectures in the spiritualist association in London during the 1970's and one medium was called Ursula Roberts. Her spirit guide Ramadahn taught that we all reincarnate many times in the journey to enlightenment, or perfection. This includes animals. They evolve in their own right as separate beings and they do not become human. Nor do humans ever reincarnate as animals. in spite of what the Hindus believe.

 

[JoeB131]

They have souls, if they didn't they wouldn't love us as unconditionally as they do, or have their own unique personalities.

I know my cats have souls...without a doubt.

I don't even believe people have souls. sorry, I just don't.

Do cats and dogs have personalities? Yes, they do.

 

[Dajjal]

What say you?

You know, when I grew up, and my favorite dog got put down because she was 15 years old, the nuns ABSOLUTELY INSISTED that dogs didn't go to heaven because they didn't have souls.

They have souls, if they didn't they wouldn't love us as unconditionally as they do, or have their own unique personalities.

I know my cats have souls...without a doubt.

My birdy had a soul, and she knew I loved her. She responded to me in every way she was capable of and even kissed me on the lips. You can see her in my avatar, swinging on my glasses.
It is my belief that we all go to the spirit world for varying lengths of time in between incarnations, and I live in hope I will see her again after I die.