From The
Catholic Herald dated April 27 1990
Beasts of the field, fish of the sea and birds of the air are
creatures with souls which are being denied basic rights because of
Catholic church teaching, according to a group of campaigners who plan
to walk to Rome to protest at the Vatican 's treatment of their furry
friends.
In a gesture reminiscent of Luther's 1517 petition on indulgences
which he pinned to the door of Wittenberg church, the campaigners will
affix their charter for reform to the door of St Peter's at the end of
their march in July.
But while Luther's act of defiance led to a summons to the Diet of
Worms, the latterday protestors are more likely to follow up their
action with a nut roast and cabbage salad.
The walk, which will include campaigners from all over Europe , is
being restricted to vegans and vegetarians.
Organisers hope to muster at least 250 marchers for the protest,
which sets off from the Swiss-German border on July 2 and aims to reach
Rome by the end of the month. There, they will ask the Pope to set up a
commission to reassess church teaching, handed down from St Thomas
Aquinas, that says animals have no souls.
Ann Sims, who is organising a conference at Essex University in June
to gather support for the walk, said it was "quite ridiculous" for
people to be told animals were without souls.
"St Francis of Assisi held that animals are our brothers and sisters
and that they should be treated with respect. But because the church
denies they have souls, they are often abused," she said.
With acknowledgement to the Catholic Herald Archive: http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/
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