Saint Francis of Asisis (animal welfare and faith)
Faith and animal welfare go together, that’s if you really follow your faith. All creatures deserve protection, and all religious texts say this.
Saint Francis of Assisi (above) was a real party boy in his native Italy, before giving up his wealthy lifestyle, to become the patron Catholic saint of animals and ecology. Yet the Catholic church supports bullfights and rents Vatican property out to McDonald’s?
Catholic Concern for Animals is a charity concerned with animal welfare issues, with its own magazine The Ark about the latest issues worldwide. It also offers free animal welfare education resources.
Creature Kind offers a downloadable six-week course, and Friendly Food Challenge Toolkit, to encourage plant-based meals at Christian camps.
Anglian Society for the Welfare of Animals offers an annual award for animal-friendly churches, online sermons and a free magazine . Free resources are also at Animal Welfare Sunday service.
Compassion in World Farming is staffed by vets who want bans on religious slaughter, replaced by alternative methods of slaughter (it’s fine for people following Jewish or Islamic to be vegan).
Books on animal-friendly faith
Franciscan Field Guide is an overview of the Franciscan arm of the Catholic church, of course influenced by St Francis of Assisi. His close friend St Clare of Assisi also loved animals.
Saint Kevin And the Blackbird is a child’s retelling of a little-known story of a Celtic saint. One morning, Kevin the monk is praying and thanking the Creator for otters and larks, by the rocky shore of Glendalough monastery.
A blackbird lands in his cupped hands, to build a nest. The story goes (supported by other monks) that he remained motionless until the fledglings safely hatched and left the nest (about two weeks).
