In the name of Christ the Good Shepherd as well as that of St Francis
Of Assisi, a patron saint of Catholicism, ‘blessings upon the animal
rights activists of Spain. God and goodness are on your side. Upon you
the Son of Righteousness shines this very day!’
But as for those priests who encourage de-sensitivity towards more
vulnerable life than their own, let the wrath of God fall! I refer to
all those clerics who encourage their flock to become hardened towards
defenceless life, for they are the hypocrites Jesus warned about in the
holy gospels. Such leaders go around morally picking out gnats as they
swallow moral camels whole. Is not this the case where the professed
church opposes contraception - even for overpopulated families living in
poverty! - classing it as mortal sin? Yes, but meanwhile blessing the
barbaric suffering endured by animals at the bullfights. Indeed, one
thinks of the grotesque practice that was held today in Tordessillas
where they hurled spears until the poor, defenceless creature’s life
expired.
Indeed, that practices such as the above were, supposedly, held in
honour of Our Lady is surely nothing but sheer blasphemy in the
teachings of past catholic theology! As for bullfighting in general,
Pope Pius the fifth as far back as 1567 forbade them; threatened all who
organised them with excommunication; and forbid church funerals to any
who were killed in the rings.
That the church hierarchy of Spain should now allow it – indeed,
encourage it – is, surely, an affront to all decency. It is nothing less
than a wilful way of playing down the cardinal virtues for exercising
compassion and care towards more vulnerable life than one’s own. Nay
more! It is to open the floodgates encouraging the dormant sadism of a
‘fallen humanity’, to be fanned and fuelled with demonic results.
By such barbaric and grotesque traditions as bull fighting the
Catholic church in Spain is not only sinning against helpless animals
over which we are called of God to exercise a caring guardianship and
stewardship, but it is also corrupting young and pliable minds. I mean
that instead of following the example of saints such as Francis Of
Assisi, they are now being brainwashed, via the corrida, to believe that
exploiting forms of life weaker than ones own is ‘expected every day
behaviour for the churches faithful’.
Animal rights activists of Spain, Take heart this day for YOU are the
true followers of Christ. ‘You are the very salt of the earth’. Did He
not say: ‘Blessed are you who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for yours is the kingdom of Heaven’? Remember always that
He was chosen of His heavenly Father to be born in a stable, between an
ox and an ass, in preference to a palace! That the ones singled out to
learn of His birth and to first meet Him were animal protectors: -
shepherds watching over their flocks by night! That when He began His
ministry thirty years later, He identified His character with a good
shepherd willing to seek out strayed animals and, if necessary, lay down
His life for them!
Yes - and last but not least – Jesus first and greatest act of
militancy was to liberate animals that were being sold in the temple for
ritual slaughter via ‘money changers’. He stated that His heavenly
Father demanded mercy rather than sacrifice. Consequently He overturned
the tables of those who sold even the doves for slaughter; and then,
with a whip, He drove out the animals (liberating them), along with the
human hypocrites who’d made a fortune out of such a retrograde practice.
So to you folk out in Spain who fight for animal liberation I say:
‘Christ the Good Shepherd is smiling down upon you today’ Your cause is
also His! St Francis of Assisi is also cheering you from heaven! So are
others:- St Anthony Of Padua, St Brendan, St Colman, St Columba, St
Cuthbert, St Giles, St Hubert, St Jerome, St Kevin, St Malo , St
Mellangell, St Werburgh, - and all these are but to name a few.
So ‘God bless each and every one of you; and always remember that you
are nearer to victory than you may ever realise!
Your friend & fellow activist,
Rev. Fr James Thompson - the animals’ padre
Holywell. Clwyd CH8 7UY. United Kingdom
www.animalpadre.org
Animal Padre's
