Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his call to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from escalating when he was interrupted by PETA activists demanding the cancellation of bullfighting.
The pontiff said while addressing the weekly general audience:
“I reiterate my appeal to all parties involved to ensure that the conflict does not spread and to immediately cease fire on all fronts, starting from Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious and unsustainable. I pray that the sincere search for peace will extinguish strife, love will overcome hatred and revenge will be disarmed by forgiveness.”
Two activists from the animal rights group PETA interrupted Pope Francis’ general audience by shouting and holding placards against bullfighting before being escorted out of Paul VI Hall.
They wore T-shirts that read “Stop blessing bullfighting” and held placards that read “bullfighting is a sin.” The PETA organisation has asked the Pope to sever the Catholic Church’s ties with bullfighting and condemn the “disgusting blood sport.”
According to the organisation, tens of thousands of bulls are killed each year at bullfighting festivals around the world, many of which are dedicated to Catholic saints. At these events, mounted attackers thrust spears and banderillas into the bull, causing it sharp pain and restricting its movements. The organisation said in a recent statement on its website:
“As numerous countries are wisely banning this sick form of “entertainment.” Pope Francis must immediately denounce this blood sport and cut the Catholic Church’s shameful ties with bullfighting.”
The Vatican did not immediately comment on Wednesday’s protest.
British priest Terry Martin recently criticised bullfighting as part of a campaign with PETA and called on Pope Francis to condemn it.
The priest from West Sussex, UK, posed in a red robe next to a bull with the caption, “Torturing animals is a sin.”
PETA noted that Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical Laudato Si’ that “any act of cruelty to any creature is “contrary to human dignity'” and that as far back as the 16th century, Pope St. Pius V banned bullfighting, which was considered “cruel” and “far from Christian piety and charity”.
