Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Tantalizing Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

Oct 4, 2006

St. Francis of Assisi, lover of all creation, champion of justice, patron saint of animals and the environment, founded the Franciscan Order. His feast day is October 4.

October 4  -  The Feast of St. Francis

On October 4^th, the feast of St. Frances commemorates the saint’s transition from this life to the afterlife.  For two days, the town of Assisi, Italy, is lit up by oil lamps burning consecrated oil.

Founder of the Franciscan Order, born at Assisi in Umbria, in 1181 or 1182 -- the exact year is uncertain; died there, 3 October, 1226.

St. Francis believed that all created things belong to God.  He felt the kinship to all creatures, people, animals and birds and his gentle curiosity and kindness made him beloved by all.

To honour St. Francis, many churches hold a ceremony of blessing animals.  Boys and girls as invited to bring their pets to church to be blessed, and this ceremony becomes more popular each year.

Churches of almost every denomination, as well as many Jewish groups, are bringing animals to the front of religious consciousness - and in some cases, right up to the altar. Clergy are performing animal blessings, funerals and even weddings. While animal spirituality has long been debated, interest is turning into actions designed to recognize animals' spiritual roles.

The attention shouldn't come as a surprise: Almost six in 10 American households include a pet, compared with one in three that includes a child. And animals have long been revered in religion. Buddhism regards animals as beings in different stages of reincarnation. Hinduism and Jainism embrace vegetarianism out of respect for all life. Islam teaches respect for animals as part of God's creation.

The shifts in thinking are happening among Christians and Jews, who have long debated the spiritual role of animals. The Greeks believed that animals had souls, but Thomas Aquinas did not - at least not souls that survived death. So when God gave man "dominion" over the earth and its creatures, did that entitle humans to treat animals as they wished? Or did that give them the responsibility to care for animals as they would each other? In the eyes of God, are animals of equal or lesser worth than human beings? And if they have souls, is it acceptable to eat them?

Some credit the animal rights and environmental movements for renewed religious interest in animals. Others say it is a result of a return to the roots of religious traditions, where animals have always had a revered, if forgotten, place.

A few of the recent developments:

The Blessing of the Animals, a celebration once marked by Roman Catholics on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), is now celebrated by many Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists and the United Church of Christ.

Ministers of many denominations now offer their services for pet funerals, weddings and blessings. Some churches have established pet cemeteries in sanctified ground.

Animal rights activists are reaching out to religious groups as allies.

People are becoming vegetarians and vegans because of their religious convictions.

Books by Christian and Jewish theologians, scholars and other thinkers have branched out from religion publishing houses to the mainstream publishers. Chief among these has been Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy by Matthew Scully (St. Martin's Press, 2002) and On God and Dogs by Stephen H. Webb (Oxford University Press, 2002).

Animals and the spiritual have made it into mainstream culture with the popularity of movies such as Seabiscuit, My Dog Skip and All Dogs Go to Heaven. Hallmark now carries pet sympathy cards, some with religious themes.

Why It Matters

Some theologians say that a common respect for animals as spiritual beings could serve as a bridge between religions because it rises above doctrine, rituals, and practices. They point to the fact that every major world religion - Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam - recognizes animals and man as of divine origin.

Francis called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor, and one of his first actions after his conversion was to care for lepers. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels.

Feast Day: October 4

Hartson Sager Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net