Is Vegan Pledge on the Table for New Archbishop of Washington?

LAMBS Encourages Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory to Honor All God’s Creatures by Choosing to Relate to Who’s on His Plate

For Immediate Release:
April 11, 2019

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

LAMBS—PETA’s Christian outreach division—sent a letter today to Archbishop-Designate of Washington Wilton D. Gregory respectfully asking him to honor the Christian tenets of compassion and respect for every living being by going vegan for 30 days and encouraging his flock to do the same. LAMBS will be sending everything that His Excellency needs to make the switch—except the bread and wine.

“Choosing vegan meals would be a beautiful way for Archbishop Gregory to bring the good news to all as he takes on his new role in Washington,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden, a Roman Catholic. “PETA hopes he’ll consider modeling Christ’s unlimited mercy by pledging to keep animals off his plate.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist view. The group will also be sending the archbishop a care package of delicious vegan food as well as copies of its “Why Christians Should Be Vegan” leaflet and vegan starter kits for his congregation.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

LAMBS’ letter to Archbishop Gregory follows.

April 11, 2019

Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory

Archbishop-Designate of Washington

Your Excellency,

Peace be with you! I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and our more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide, including those of us in LAMBS, our Christian outreach division. First, congratulations on your appointment as the archbishop of Washington, where we have an office. I’d like to suggest a simple way to honor God’s plan for the world and Christ’s compassion while promoting your flock’s health and protecting our planet for future generations: Pledge to go vegan for 30 days and encourage those you shepherd to do the same.

More animals are killed in the food industry than in laboratories and other animal-exploiting endeavors combined. They’re made of flesh, blood, and bone and feel love, happiness, loneliness, and fear just like we do, yet because they were born chickens or pigs or other animals whose flesh people traditionally eat, they’re prevented from doing anything that they were designed and created by God to enjoy—they’re never able to feel the grass beneath their feet or the sun on their faces, smell fresh air, or raise a family.

Christian theology has long recognized our God-granted dominion over the Earth not as authorization to exploit other beings but as a sacred duty to be loving stewards of His creation. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40, “As you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.” We were created in God’s loving image (Genesis 1:27; 1 John 4:8), and thus, we’re called to show love to the world and all His creatures. Surely, Jesus considered our treatment of animals when He said, “Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7).

Neither Scripture nor the movement of the Holy Spirit in our hearts supports our desecrating the environment, destroying entire species of wildlife, and tormenting and killing billions of animals every year. The Bible imparts a reverence for life, and the living, loving God must be appalled at the way His creatures are treated. Jesus taught us to extend love and compassion to those who are weak, vulnerable, and different from us, and St. Francis encouraged us to see humans as but one of God’s many creations, all of whom are blessed in His eyes.

Every time that we feed ourselves, our families, and our neighbors, we have the opportunity to make compassionate choices. Please, will you consider pledging to go vegan and encouraging the laity to do the same? We’ll be sending you a care package of delicious vegan food when you assume your position next month as well as copies of our “Why Christians Should Be Vegan” leaflets and vegan starter kits. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration. I pray that you—and all you serve—will have a particularly blessed and beautiful Holy Week and Easter season.

Yours respectfully in Christ,

Daniel Paden

Vice President