PepitoVFR Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 "POPE Francis has delivered good news for dog lovers everywhere — our four-legged friends are welcome in the kingdom of God." http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/pope-francis-all-dogs-do-go-to-heaven/story-fnjwkt0b-1227154669551 The new pope is a good man (for a god botherer anyway) but he better watch his back with all these liberal views he espouses :) Cheers, Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 He did take his name from Saint Francis, the Patron Saint of animals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Sweet. :) Fairy tales, but sweet nonetheless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Good to see this coming from the Vatican! The harsh, judgemental positions past Popes have taken have left a bad taste in my mouth. Francis seems much more Christian, in the good sense of the word. Not just in this. His "who am I to judge" comment about homosexuality was the last thing I would have expected to hear from a pope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 OK, he has my vote in the next election :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) The context seems to be that Pope Francis was comforting a little boy who told him his much loved dog had died. I think he was acknowledging the strong love & bonds we have with our dogs. And where there's great love, there's 'heaven' whether in a believer's sense, or the metaphorical sense of the non-believer. Science supports that those extraordinary bonds exist with our dogs, bringing something special to both humans & pets. So no argument from me... where there's great love, 'heaven' (whatever a person means it to be) comes, too. Edited December 14, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 .....but he better watch his back with all these liberal views he espouses :) Ha ha ha, great minds Morita. I saw this article on FB a few days ago and posted there: "Pope Francis needs to watch his back. He'll be joining Gallileo and be tried for heresy soon." But yes, I have been gobsmacked at some of the gentle and accommodating things he has said during his papacy. John Paul II and Benedict were reactionaries of the first order and I doubt they knew what "Christianity" was all about. But then that would apply to the vast majority of "The Church". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 " The new pope is a good man (for a god botherer anyway) but he better watch his back with all these liberal views he espouses :) There's nothing particularly liberal about Francis's reportedly saying that animals can 'go to heaven'. Much the same was also reportedly said by Pope Paul VI, who died in 1978. And it's not a Church-challenging statement.... given that there's no Church doctrine about the matter at all. Which leaves their position at 'Who knows?' And so people of that Church are perfectly free to put in their pennyworth. Including Pope Francis... it's his pennyworth. And I've done mine, too! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepitoVFR Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) You certainly have :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited December 14, 2014 by Morita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 " The new pope is a good man (for a god botherer anyway) but he better watch his back with all these liberal views he espouses :) There's nothing particularly liberal about Francis's reportedly saying that animals can 'go to heaven'. Much the same was also reportedly said by Pope Paul VI, who died in 1978. And it's not a Church-challenging statement.... given that there's no Church doctrine about the matter at all. Which leaves their position at 'Who knows?' And so people of that Church are perfectly free to put in their pennyworth. Including Pope Francis... it's his pennyworth. And I've done mine, too! :) Catholics believe only humans have souls, therefore only humans can go to heaven. It's going to piss a lot of people who stick to that off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Catholics believe only humans have souls, therefore only humans can go to heaven. It's going to piss a lot of people who stick to that off. I guess you're not speaking for all Catholics as not all Catholics believe only humans have souls. You must be stating your personal opinion of Catholicism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) Catholics believe only humans have souls, therefore only humans can go to heaven. It's going to piss a lot of people who stick to that off. Note again.... that's there no Church doctrine that animals cannot or can go to 'heaven'. As I've previously posted, Pope Paul VI was reported as saying the same as Francis back before 1978... & there was no melt- down. Jesuit, Rev James Martin, editor of the US Catholic magazine, America, was approached by the New York Times for comment about Francis's reported comments. His take: 'He’s reminding us that all creation is holy and that in his mind, paradise is open to all creatures, and frankly, I agree with him.” It is a matter of who knows. And there's 2 Popes, 1 Jesuit & me who've spoken their mind on the matter. Being pissed off is as much a valid choice for other minds. :) If someone isn't a Church member, they're free to think what rot & fuss about nothing. Edited December 14, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Catholics believe only humans have souls, therefore only humans can go to heaven. It's going to piss a lot of people who stick to that off. I guess you're not speaking for all Catholics as not all Catholics believe only humans have souls. You must be stating your personal opinion of Catholicism? I'm speaking from what the catholic church has taught me and many others. Of course not all catholics personally believe that, not all catholics only eat fish on Good Friday, but that is what is taught by many bishops, fathers, nuns and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) [ I'm speaking from what the catholic church has taught me and many others. Of course not all catholics personally believe that, not all catholics only eat fish on Good Friday, but that is what is taught by many bishops, fathers, nuns and so on. It's not a doctrine.... anything specific about animals & heaven. It's what someone, including Popes, think. Catholics are only required to believe doctrine. The Jesuit editor, James Martin, sums up the history of pastoral, not doctrinal, opinions: The question of whether animals go to heaven has been debated for much of the church’s history. Pope Pius IX, who led the church from 1846 to 1878, longer than any other pope, strongly supported the doctrine that dogs and other animals have no consciousness….Pope John Paul II appeared to reverse Pius in 1990 when he proclaimed that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are.”….John Paul’s successor, Benedict, seemed to emphatically reject his view in a 2008 sermon in which he asserted that when an animal dies, it “just means the end of existence on earth.” Fr Martin himself says: Nonetheless, Pope Francis’s comments, though “pastoral” and though off-the-cuff, offer an important insight into the Pope Francis’s mind and also seems to reflect a change in what many Catholics believe—myself included. You're right that others might not hold that position....& they'd be equally valid in doing so. Because it's not doctrinal. Edited December 14, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Personally, I believe we are all animals and as Benedict apparently said when an animal (human or otherwise) dies, it “just means the end of existence on earth.” But it's good to see people who believe in Heaven allowing for dogs to go there too. If there is a heaven and dogs aren't allowed, I don't want to go :) I've met a lot more evil people than evil dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra 157 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 As a Catholic ,I have always believed dogs and other animals are part of a Divine Plan.Ive never been taught otherwise. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) As a Catholic ,I have always believed dogs and other animals are part of a Divine Plan.Ive never been taught otherwise. :) Same here. I was educated by nuns at a Catholic College. efs Edited December 14, 2014 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentchild Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Catholic here too and I've never heard of animals not being allowed into Heaven - otherwise I wouldn't go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 We are Catholic too, and hubby went to a Catholic school. We were both taught as LisaCC was. However, it is great to hear that the Pope has re-enforced our firm conviction that animals do go to heaven too, as I too would not want to be anywhere that did not have furry friends! Anyone who has looked into a dogs eyes cannot believe for one second that they don't have a soul, in my opinion Di Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) As I've previously posted, Pope Paul VI was reported as saying the same as Francis back before 1978... & there was no melt- down. 1978 is light years away from today in terms of the treatment and understanding and recognition of companion animals. And no social media around then for a melt-down to happen. Edited December 14, 2014 by Dame Danny's Darling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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