Conservative Catholics have a no-pets policy with respect to heaven because they say animals cannot pass through the Pearly Gates of heaven because they neither have souls nor are they baptised. In addition, animals don’t have the free will to decide between good and evil.
The current Pope is named after Francis, the patron saint of animals and it is therefore no surprise that he appears to have gone against the conservative Catholics in stating that “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”
In saying this, the Pope has pleased many animal lovers, especially Catholic animal lovers I suspect, because it means that their pets can join them in Paradise.
The Catholic Church has opened the door to gays and divorcees who traditionally were the foes of the Catholic Church. Now Pope Francis is being feted, apparently, by animal rights groups for embracing animals (The New York Times reported).
In addition, Francis was quoted by Italian newspapers as claiming:
“One day, we will see your animals again in the eternity of Christ.”
Pope Francis appears to be rewriting the rules of the Catholic faith but then we know him as somebody who speaks his mind and makes off-the-cuff remarks. Perhaps the rules will not be rewritten as a result of the Pope’s entirely correct and charming sayings.
Pro-animal groups have been objecting to the conservative attitude of many Catholics in preventing animals going to heaven. Maybe this is an opportunity for change.
Cat lovers are all familiar with the Rainbow Bridge, which is a reference to a deceased cat being transported to heaven where they will be with other cats and dogs of the family who have died previously and where the cat’s owner will join them when their time comes.
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What I can understand is, if PARADISE means PEACE and HAPPINESS which a normal human can wish on this earth and can not find any where.
That means, if the lord of heaven sends me to paradise and there I become sad just because I can not see my LAILA, SAJID, BLACK BEAUTY, PINKY etc. there.
My question is to Allah Almighty then, What kind of PARADISE should it be, if I am sad?
As I said,”if PARADISE means PEACE and HAPPINESS”. So, I will be much happy with my innocent friends out there. 🙂
If PARADISE is a place where every wish comes TRUE.
My wish then, “Give me my cats so I can have a plenty of time of fun and happiness with them <3 ".
I am a Catholic and I am thrilled that we finally have a pope who realizes that animals will be in heaven. I have always believed that there would be animals there and that I would see my pets again, of this I have no doubt.
Good. It makes sense to me that if there is a heaven then our companion animals have an equal or greater right to be there as us.
Some quotes I have found comforting:
If there is a heaven, it’s certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them. — Pam Brown
I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there [in Heaven], I believe he’ll be there. — Rev. Billy Graham
Lovely words. They are very comforting. We need a bit of comfort. Well, I certainly do. I believe that Pope Francis is a good Pope. He is wise and he’s genuinely saintly in that he cares deeply for the poor but does not care that much for the trappings of the church and its wealth.
Michael, I believe that if God created it, why wouldn’t he also want to bring His creations to Heaven as well??. . . As you know, I have ALWAYS called them “little temples of God”. . . ♥♥♥
Yes, agreed. Religion is a human construct and it is primarily for and about humans. But if a God exists, God would see all creatures as the same.
It wouldn’t be ‘heaven’ without our cats. Bigfoot, Yellowcat, Ketzel, Daisy…running free.
If there is a heaven, I’d love to meet my cats there. God, it would be wonderful. My emotions would be overpowering. Love the picture.
Since heaven is not something we earn, but a free gift of God in Christ Jesus, then why would animals not be given that gift? They choose between good and evil all the time– and only choose good!
Mankind, since Adam and Eve chose evil, can only choose evil. We have a bound will. Without Christ’s atoning sacrifice we can only run from God and try to be God.
Animals have no need to be baptized because baptism is being reborn as a new creation in Christ. Since animals never sinned they have no need of rebirth. We deserve death. They don’t, but have been cursed along with us in the creation we ruined (and continue to ruin) but when Christ comes again to make all things new it is impossible to imagine He would leave them out of it. Especially, since they never deserved this miserable existence.
We’ve been studying the symbolism in the book of Revelation. Everyone who will gather around the throne in heaven is shown to be there through symbolism. One figure represents creation. Also the number four every time it is used represents all of creation. The figure representing creation resembles animals. There are separate figures that represent believers in Christ. Why have animals symbolized, but not present? They are there around the throne, with people, but definitely represented as a separate group– it’s more than just “if you want your pet in heaven he can be there”– all of creation is there.
I think that’s too big for people to get their heads around. So many animals have lived and died. Could God bring every single one to heaven? Of course! The size and complexity of the created universe testify to this. They have a God who is too small if they think there is no room in heaven for animals. Bringing animals to heaven is easy! Getting humans there and not having us not ruin it is much harder. That is why we need baptism, repentance and the cross of Christ. Because nothing about any of us makes us worthy of heaven. But it is like sinful creatures to attempt to bar from paradise those who actually deserve it in order to make sure there is room for we who do not.
Pope Francis would not agree with me that no human can earn heaven. That’s where Luther split from the church when he tried and tried to be holy and realized he couldn’t do it. He read Romans and realized he didn’t have to. According to the Council of Trent (which was never rescinded) I will be damned for agreeing with Luther. Apparently, you can now be a “good” atheist and be saved but if you are a poor, miserable sinner of a Lutheran who leans on Christ alone and not your own merits you are doomed.
But I agree with the pope that animals will be part of the heavenly scenes, and that animals are taken to be with Jesus when they die. Their lives return to God who gave them. Anything with the breath of life in it has a soul.
Wow, beautiful comment, Ruth. Thank you for adding such interesting details to the article. Of course I agree with all you say. All animals deserve to go to heaven because they can’t do wrong. They are pure and innocent. Humans are very impure.