Pope is not the embodiment of St Francis, but the antithesis
On March 16, 2013, Pope Francis told an audience of media representatives that he chose his religious name because Francis was “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation, do we?”
This man, who professes to love creation, is resolutely ignoring the plight of animal abuse in Europe, just as the Catholic Church ignored sexual abuse in its ranks for so long until public outrage could no longer be ignored.
In a petition to him on behalf of the thousands of young bulls tortured for entertainment, having tar poured over them and over their horns, which is then ignited and, as the terrified animal tries to escape the flames, hearing the crowd erupt into whoops of joy at its distress, he now resolutely ignores all pleas for compassion.
He is the antithesis of St Francis, the man whose name he took. It took him nearly five years to respond to calls to deal with abuse in the church; how many more will it take him to condemn the cruelty of his flocks in Portugal, Italy, France and, more than anywhere else in the world, the utterly senseless depravity of the Spanish?
These so-called fiestas are protected by the ruling classes, royalty and the EU, which has always subsidised bull fighting. If not directly then indirectly by paying the farmers who raise the animals specifically for the purpose of being tortured and killed.
Our taxes have been spent on practices most of us abhor. In this country we find entertainment in village fetes, carnivals, our wonderful Edinburgh Tattoo and pageantry, our air shows, our equine and dog shows. Killing for pleasure is no longer an acceptable pastime in our lands, but EU countries are still living in a barbaric past when it comes to animals. So what person in their right mind, would want to be part of that club?
And why are Catholics in this country still treating the Pope like some kind of demigod, instead of being as outraged over his silence and failure to condemn those responsible for such abusive cruelty to innocent animals.
Will Knott, Shrewsbury
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