PETA: ‘Blessing Bullfights Is Blasphemy!’

Catholic Church Must Sever Ties With Bloody Spectacle

The pope’s prayer service in Rome is a solemn occasion, but PETA UK supporters – angry over the Catholic Church’s support of bloody bullfights, festivals of horror for animals – were determined to disrupt it. After letters and other appeals fell on deaf ears, they knew they had to somehow reach Pope Francis with their message. Holding signs in English and Italian, they interrupted a service at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, pleading with His Holiness to tell his priests to stop blessing bullfighters and bullfights and start condemning them.

The Bible preaches mercy for all God’s creation, yet every year, thousands of bulls are tormented, stabbed, and slaughtered around the world “in honor” of Catholic saints. Catholic priests officiate at religious ceremonies in bullrings and even minister to bullfighters in chapels built inside arenas.

PETA entities are calling on the pope to honor his namesake, St Francis – the patron saint of animals – by cutting the Catholic Church’s ties with this unholy blood sport.

Blessed Are the Merciful

At the behest of PETA UK, Catholic priests from Canada, France, and the UK wrote a letter reminding Pope Francis that bullfighting “blatantly contradicts the principles of mercy and respect that you so thoughtfully advocate for with regard to the animals with whom we share the planet.”

One priest, the Rev Terry Martin (pictured above), wrote the following in the Catholic Herald:  

“Tens of thousands of bulls, all God’s creatures, are goaded and repeatedly stabbed with a lance and harpoon-like banderillas until they’re weak and defenseless. Then, the matador – literally ‘killer’ – plunges a sword into the animals’ hearts or lungs; if this doesn’t kill them, a knife is used to sever their spinal cord. Bulls may still be conscious when their ears and tails are cut off as ‘trophies.’ They are then dragged out of the arena in chains. … Inflicting agony and terror on vulnerable, terrified creatures to the barbaric delight of cheering crowds is an affront to God.”

– Rev Terry Martin

Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical Laudato si’ that “every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity.’” As early as the 16th century, the now-canonized pope St Pius V denounced bullfights as “cruel and base spectacles of the devil.” He forbade Catholics from attending bullfights on penalty of excommunication.

Caring vs. Cruelty

Despite the Catholic Church’s inaction, Colombia has outlawed bullfighting and more than 125 Spanish provinces and cities have declared themselves anti-bullfighting. Thanks to the work of PETA Latino and other animal advocates, multiple states in Mexico – including Coahuila, Guerrero, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Sonora – have banned the bloody spectacle. PETA Latino supporters successfully pushed Telefónica’s paid TV platform, Movistar Plus+, to stop airing bullfights. And after hearing from PETA, PETA France, and other groups, Pernod Ricard – which owns over 90 wine and spirits brands, including Absolut Vodka – ended its financial support of the Union of Paul Ricard Bullfighting Clubs, the world’s largest bullfighting organization.