The mystery of what happens to animals when they die, and whether we will see our pets in heaven, are questions that constantly arise and will continue to do so. Catholic teaching is that only human souls are immortal and thus survive bodily death. St. Thomas, in his Summa Theologica teaches that animals do have souls but that they are merely mortal: “Wherefore we conclude that as the souls of brute animals have no per se operations they are not subsistent.”
The newspaper “The Irish Catholic” featured a recent article that sums the Catholic viewpoint:
“Catholics believe that all living things have souls, and this includes not only humans, but also plants and animals. When a living thing dies, the soul separates from its body or organic makeup. In the case of animals, the soul goes out of existence. However, the souls of human beings are radically different from the souls of other living things. Whereas the souls of animals are contingent upon their material makeup, human souls remain in existence after death because it is immaterial. “
Catholic Answers states bluntly:
“Animal and vegetable souls are dependent entirely on matter for their operation and being. They cease to exist at death. (There’s no “doggie heaven.”)”
But on the other hand, Pope Francis has famously indicated his belief in animal immortality:
“Pope Francis sent ripples around the world Wednesday when he suggested that pets and other animals have a place in heaven, which is in stark contradiction to conservative Catholic teaching that animals don't have souls. Seeking to console a young boy who recently lost his dog, Pope Francis assured him during his weekly address that he would be united with his pet in heaven.
"One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God's creatures," the Pope said, according to Italian news sources. Theologians, however, argued that Pope Francis' words should not be taken as a doctrinal statement, as he had spoken casually.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America, the Catholic magazine,told the New York Times he believed that Pope Francis was at least saying, "God loves and Christ redeems all of creation," despite conservative Catholic teachings to the contrary. "He said paradise is open to all creatures," Father Martin told the Times. "That sounds pretty clear to me."
The issue of whether or not animals have souls has been a controversial issue in the Catholic Church for a long time, and Pope Francis' comment appears to have opened up that debate once again”
Now, if the souls of animals dissipate upon their death, how does one account for the stories in the lives of Catholic saints which assert that they raised to life dead animals? As portrayed in two Renaissance paintings, St. Nicholas Tolentino (1246 - 1305) is said to have refused to eat cooked partridges when he was bedridden, and brought them back to life so that they could fly away.
Even more spectacularly, St. Francis of Paola (1416 - 1507) was said to have resurrected both a pet fish and his pet lamb. He is also known to have abstained from all meat, fish and animal products, such as eggs and milk. He called the animals by their names even after their lives had ended. He apparently believed they continued to exist after their deaths.
The Blog “A Catholic Life” goes into some detail:
St. Francis had a love for animals and took a vow to never eat any animals, even fish. According to his biographers, it is said: "Francis had a favorite trout that he called ‘Antonella.’ One day, one of the priests, who provided religious services, saw the trout swimming about in his pool. To him it was just a delicious dish, so he caught it and took it home, tossing it into the frying pan. Francis missed ‘Antonella’ and realized what had happened. He asked one of his followers to go to the priest to get it back. The priest, annoyed by this great concern for a mere fish, threw the cooked trout on the ground, shattering it into several pieces. The hermit sent by Francis gathered up the broken pieces in his hands and brought them back to Francis. Francis placed the pieces back in the pool and, looking up to Heaven and praying, said: ‘Antonella, in the name of Charity, return to life.’ The trout immediately became whole and swam joyously around his pool as if nothing had happened. The friars and the workers who witnessed this miracle were deeply impressed by the miracle."
St.
Francis also raised his pet lamb from the dead after it had been
killed and eaten by workmen. "Being in need of food, the workmen
caught and slaughtered Francis’ pet lamb, Martinello, roasting it
in their lime kiln. They were eating when the Saint approached them,
looking for the lamb. They told him they had eaten it, having no
other food. He asked what they had done with the fleece and the
bones. They told him they had thrown them into the furnace. Francis
walked over to the furnace, looked into the fire and called
‘Martinello, come out!’ The lamb jumped out, completely
untouched, bleating
happily on seeing his master."
Giovanni Gasparro, contemporary, 2015; The Miracles of St. Francis of Paola. In Gasparro’s painting we see the same fish many times over flopping around in a dish. Francis has an extra set of hands, which is a common motif in Gasparro’s work.
View my Catholic books Here.
Thank you for this, Frank. I did not know about these paintings. They are so gratifying-- great painters soaring with their talents to lay their reputations on the line and create what has come down to them on this subject, whether by witness, tradition or love for God's creatures... And surely Grace touched them.
ReplyDeleteAnimals not go to Heaven? My belief is that they do, based first and foremost on God's Infinite Love for all that He created. I can't allow myself to believe that the INFINITE Love of our God would slam the Heavenly Gates on His animals' souls. I therefore rest my case in my own heart and soul.
Saint (Cardinal) John Henry Newman said in a Good Friday sermon that animals were as innocent as Christ on the Cross. Words from one who loved and understood animals...
One thing I've always felt is that the theologians who 'figured out' the Divine Law based on the mortal (and not immortal) souls of animals, concluded their souls pass away just like their bodies and therefore they do not live on. My suspicion is that these theologians never had a close relationship with an animal, especially pets, or else they disliked animals (I've seen that many times) and found it so easy to dismiss an animal's soul and deny it the happiness of Heaven.
The subject is so big and passionate that, as the painters wanted to fearlessly capture it in their art, I have been writing some sort of opinion. Maybe one day I'll finish it.
Thank you. I’d never given this subject any thought until I read your post. The examples you’ve provided make a good case that animals do have souls.
ReplyDeleteJohn
I saw this story on a website about St. Paul of the Cross:
ReplyDeleteSt. Paul was once working on some soldiers at Portecole in an effort to reform their lives. One not only resisted conversion but also made blasphemous and obscene remarks about the matter. This soldier had been sitting outside on a stone and had been trying to draw a sentinel nearby into conversation and a game of cards. The other remonstrated with him, saying that the holy priest Paul might pass by at any moment.
The other soldier reacted strongly: "I will be as soon converted as that ox returns again to life!" He was referring to the lifeless body of a slaughtered ox that lay nearby. The butcher had already partially flayed it. But at the soldier's unwise and irreverent remark, the ox rose up alive and ran with wild fury at the soldier sitting on the stone. He managed to escape, and the ox hit his own head on the stone where the soldier had been sitting but a moment before. The stone was drenched with blood and the ox died for good there. https://www.saintpaulofthecross.com/2010/10/extraordinary-supernatural-gifts-given.html
Here is another animal miracle from St. Paul of the Cross:
ReplyDeleteOn another occasion, the saint was a guest at the house of Signori Goffredi, where a hen was served for dinner. St. Paul said, "You have inadvertantly done wrong to kill that poor animal, because with her eggs she was the support of a poor woman to whom she belonged. Let us do an act of charity. Open that window." Upon the man opening the window Paul then blessed the hen--which was already cooked, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. He had hardly pronounced the words when the hen suddenly returned to life, was miraculously covered with feathers, took wing and went off screaming out the window, to the house of her poor mistress. Signori Goffredi soon afterwards found out that the hen had been stolen by the man who sold it to her. This miracle was recorded under sworn oath by the eyewitness to the miraculous event. https://www.saintpaulofthecross.com/2010/10/extraordinary-supernatural-gifts-given.html
And now I have just read about a fourth saint that raised animals from the dead! There are two instances of this reported in The Life of St. Gerard Majella, by Rev. Edward Saint-Omer. Here is the first one: "The Berilli family, of Calitri, had sustained a heavy loss in the death of a fine mule. Gerard, having heard of their affliction, as an acknowledgement of the hospitality he had received at their house, asked to be taken to the stable. There the mule lay dead on the ground. Gerard made the sign of the Cross over it, and at once the animal rose full of life, to the great joy and amazement of the beholders." [page. 170.] The other one is this: "Despite his youth, he was already favored with the gift of miracles. The care of a lamb had been confided to him. It happened that some robbers stole and killed it. The child seeing that its loss was a great annoyance to his parents, since the animal did not belong to them, said, "Be sure, the lamb will come back." Then he began to pray, and soon, by a prodigy of the Divine Goodness, the little creature was restored to its lawful owner." [page 15.]
ReplyDeleteToday I have found a fifth saint that has raised animals from the dead, St. Joseph of Copertino. In his biography by Pastrovicchi, published by TAN books, we read on page 85:
ReplyDelete"A very amazing miracle was wrought by our saint at Copertino. A flock of sheep had been killed by enormously large hailstones, and the shepherds begged the saint to help them. Joseph hurried out into the field, lifted up his heart to God, and then raised the animals, one by one, from the ground, saying, "In the name of God, Arise!" All the animals arose, and the shepherds were so amazed that they could not utter a word to thank their benefactor."