Letter to the Pope on behalf of animals.
Please use this letter to send to the Pope by adding your name underneath my signature
( Elissa Rattigan) or write your own polite letter to him regarding the same subject.
The email address is
Please also sign the petition just below this letter.
Dear Your Holiness Pope Francis,
I am pleased to hear that, having taken your papal name in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, you are making it your mission to help the poor. However, St. Francis is known also for his equally passionate stance on the rights of all creatures, animals, insects, fish, plants, Mother Earth and the other planets alike. He took this further by promoting not only our kindness to, but protection of, all living things.
“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough.
We have a higher duty – to be of service to them, whenever they require it.”
St Francis of Assisi. 1181-1226.
As the true humane , Essene Jesus before him, Francis was probably one of the first animal liberationists, having saved lambs from slaughter. I would hope to be sure that having chosen his name-sake, you will , inspired by his compassion, be an instrument of the Great Spirit of God and saviour of billions of animals who face misery, torture and pain in farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories, etc., by your living and promoting veganism .
By many following your example and adopting a vegan diet, benefits will be brought to human health, starving nations and the planet, itself.
“Livestock is the main driver of de-forestation.
Livestock is the largest single source of water pollution.
Livestock produces more green-house gases than all the world-wide transportation combined.”
United Nations “Livestocks’ Long Shadow” 2006.
“Meat consumption is an inefficient use of grain”
”…the grain is used more efficiently when consumed by humans. Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grain to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world’s poor.”
Worldwatch Institute.
“A piece of land the size of five football pitches can feed only two people fed on meat. But it can feed ten people on maize, twenty four people on grains or sixty one on soya.”
Viva.
I know other bodies have written to you regarding the above and have submitted films such as “Earthlings” which show the extent of mans’ cruelty to animals so I have no need to do the same. I will just add that we see you as the one person able to have influence in this regard over, at least, the many catholics throughout the world. Just think of the difference you could make with that power. We await with baited breath as there has never in many generations been an opportunity like this. We thank you in advance.
Now I turn to matters essentially Catholic, celebrated by your priests and which I would like you to deal with without delay. I speak of those fiestas which are surely the work of evil force where bulls have their horns set alight and are then chased through the streets by gleeful people and clergy and of the pitiful spectacles of live goats being thrown from belfry tops, again sanctioned by the Church. Surely this is something you could ban straight away as a matter of priority. Thank you.
With hope and faith in you,
on behalf of our fellow creatures with whom we are one with God,
Elissa Rattigan.
Please sign our petition to the Pope regarding promotion of Veganism
Please follow this link to sign our petition asking Pope Francis to promote veganism and ban the cruel abuse of animals at religious festivals.
ONE DAY COURSE -Healing Meditation
School Of Traditional Healing- ONE DAY COURSE -Healing Meditation
With Kate E A Berridge an experienced, loving Teacher
Saturday 17th January 2015
10am—4pm North Somercotes
Re-start 2015 enjoying a whole day
of Healing Meditation.
Experience a guided Meditation for deep healing, in the ancient British and Irish Tradition.
Nourish your inner self.
Learn skills for your well-being and happiness.
You will be very welcome
This event is suitable for beginners and the more advanced
Price: £50 / £40 concessions … (proof must be provided)
Booking essential as numbers are limited
Contact Kate via: website: http://www.celticspiritualhealing.com
e-mail: kate.berridge@yahoo.co.uk telephone:01507 328689
Blessed Be
Happy New Year
A very happy new year to all supporters.
The newsletter will follow in January.
All the best from Animal Rights in Spiritualism.
Grotesque, cruel “Bull of Fire” spectacle – urgent action, please
..
Hello everyone,
Susan of Liverpool asks us to email urgently to the addresses below, before this Saturday, 15 th November, when the horrific annual chase of Bulls with their horns set on fire will take place.
Please read the letter she has composed and either send as it is or modify to personalise. As it is likely to be mostly animal rights people who visit this website, I have spared you the gruesome graphics which Susan sent to my email but if anyone wishes to view them just email me and I will forward them.
for the animals,
Elissa Rattigan.
Officials Honor of Spain:
The Joy of Toro (bull of fire) is a grotesque
spectacle that draws protests and boycotts of tourism worldwide.
However, it remains Medinaceli occur annually in
the province of Soria, Spain.
In light of the recent ban on bullfighting in
north-eastern Spain, Catalonia region, I find
it surprising that the officials of Soria are still allowing jeering mobs to
tease a bull with flaming tar balls or
turpentine placed on their horns.
Covered with mud from the front legs,
slowly burning. some animals break their horns
on the walls to escape hours of agony.
“Some traditions can not remain frozen in time as society
changes,”
Rull nationalist Jose Catalan said lawmakers voted
to ban bullfighting. The Joy of Toro is frozen in time – an archaic
and senseless brutality of the animals.
Please cancel the bull fire definitely in Spain.
I urge officials to enforce laws that protect animals
from all forms of abuse, including vulgar blood rituals and
celebrations.
Different cultures may not understand
unique customs, but everyone
recognizes animal cruelty. Heritage,
entertainment, art and religion never
justify torture outright.
Sincerely,
To:
Alcalde (Mayor)
D. Carlos Martínez Mínguez (PSOE)
alcaldia@ayto-soria.org
The code for Spain is 0034, then the number is 975 234 141 in case anyone gets the chance to ring.
“presidencia@dipsoria.es”
presidencia@dipsoria.es>;
“turismo@dipsoria.com”
<turismo@dipsoria.com>;
“buzon.presidente@jcyl.es”
<buzon.presidente@jcyl.es>;
“presidente.responde@jcyl.es”
<presidente.responde@jcyl.es>;
“sotur@jcyl.es” sotur@jcyl
Funcionarios de Honor de España:
El Toro Júbilo de (toro
de fuego) es un espectáculo grotesco
que llama la protestas y los boicots de turismo de todo el
mundo. Sin embargo, sigue
anualmente se producen en Medinaceli,
provincia de Soria, España.
A la luz de la reciente prohibición de
las corridas de toros en el noreste de España, Cataluña
región, me rresulta sorprendente que los funcionarios de
Soria sigue siendo que las turbas abucheos burlarse de un toro con bolas de alquitrán ardiendo o trementina colocada en sus cuernos. Cubiertos de barro de las piernas al frente, lentamente
al animal quema. algunos romper en las paredes para escapar de horasde agonía.
Mansfield Mind Body Spirit Show
Elissa will be giving a talk on “The Compassionate Pathway” at 4pm in the Oakham Room at Mansfield Mind Body Spirit Show on the 18th October – Mansfield Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield, NG19 7BH, Notts.
The show provides 25 free talks and workshops and there are 70 stalls. Open Saturday 18th Oct from 10am-6pm and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Daily admission £4. 2 day pass £6. Children free.
Organiser Northstar Crystals 07990 874699 http://www.mansfieldshow.com
Jumble Sale in aid of South Normanton Cat Sanctuary.
Jumble sale in aid of South Normanton Cat Sanctuary at the Zion Church Hall, Market Street, South Normanton, Derbyshire, from 12-2pm on Saturday, 19th July.
In memory of one termed “The mother of the animal rights movement.”
In memory of one termed “The mother of the Animal Rights movement.”
Nancy Phipps passed to the world of Spirit on the 30th May, 2014. A supporter of the Animal Liberation Front and an animal rights prisoner in the 1980s, she was the mother of Jill Phipps who died after being hit by a veal calf truck at the ‘live export’ protests in 1995.
We honour Nancy and her daughter Jill (hopefully, both re-united) for their bravery in doing all they could to protect and rescue our beloved fellow creatures.
I couldn’t resist adding this……..
I’m Optimistic About My Pessimism
by Ken Swensen
A few months ago, my wife and I were sharing a meal with a handful of animal activists and someone posed the inevitable question – is there any hope? Which of course meant, “is there any hope of getting the 70 billion land animals raised for food out of their prisons, saving the oceans and their inhabitants, and slowing humankind’s race towards environmental suicide?”
Somewhat cheerfully one of the assembled vegans said, “There could be a nuclear disaster.”
“Or a terrible epidemic,” another chimed in.
“Or a huge natural catastrophe,” added a third.
I laughed and said, “And this passes for optimism in the animal rights world?”
Let’s face it – the more we learn about the big picture, the tougher it gets to see the way out. Worldwide, we need to quickly reduce carbon emissions, but they rise inexorably. We must sharply reduce meat consumption, but we are constructing enormous factory farms throughout the developing world. Ocean acidification? Worsening. Deforestation? Proceeding. Desertification? Increasing. Overpopulation? Mind-boggling.
And then there’s China. With more than four times our population, China is rushing towards American levels of consumption and environmental impact. I’ve experienced the smog and the traffic jams in that part of the world, seen the rampant urban growth and the increasing commoditization of animals – and it haunts my dreams.
Then last year, I had the very good fortune to meet a woman named Pei-Feng Su at an animal rights conference. Pei (pronounced pay) devotes her life to fighting the wave of negative trends in China. After a decade working for other animal advocacy groups, she founded ACTAsia for Animals in 2006 and has relentlessly pursued a vision of a sustainable and compassionate China. Listening to her presentation, I knew I was going to volunteer to help ACTAsia.
Here is an organization addressing root causes in the country that will likely have the greatest influence on the fate of the earth. ACTAsia is teaching thousands of schoolchildren that animals have emotions, feel pain, and deserve our respect. Pei and her small, yet very effective team are raising awareness about the brutalities of the fur trade. They work with grassroots animal activists across China teaching them to be more effective and professional. They offer plant-based food choices to those who are ready to hear. They accomplish big things with little money in a country that is making decisions that will ultimately affect all living creatures.
Now my antidotes for those images of tortured dogs and foxes in rusted cages are these beautiful Chinese animal activists and the first-ever Cruelty-Free Fashion Show in Beijing.
The scary statistics about new coal plants in China are now accompanied by photos of these newly certified Chinese humane educators.
Instead of the downright depressing images of enormous new factory farms, I substitute the first Animal Protection Summer Camp.
And I see Pei Su with this Xiamen Middle School principal (on left) committing all of his students to a full year course of humane education. (The head of the Xiamen Animal Protection Association joins them.)
Realistically, I know that my efforts, and even ACTAsia’s efforts, are most likely a drop in the proverbial bucket. Might ACTAsia educate an animal activist who becomes the future premier of China? Will environmental activism start to move like wildfire through the provinces? I don’t know. But what I do know is that it feels right to put my efforts in the very places that fuel my fears. It feels good to attack the core of my pessimism.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not advocating for a pessimistic worldview. It’s simply the one I’ve got. I’ve tried to change it, but when it comes to climate change, the state of the oceans, the extinction of species, and the endless ways we torment animals, I can’t seem to will my mind to a happy vision of the future.
Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd says:
Warriors must always focus on the action rather than the result. We do what we do because we cannot imagine not doing it. I never think about winning or losing… What matters is that all of your energy be directed towards achieving your goals… What matters is what you do today.
I’m no warrior, but I do keep fighting – to improve myself and share what I’ve learned with others. Lately I’ve been feeling oddly optimistic about my pessimism. It seems to be a motivating force. And I’m especially optimistic about the importance and validity of the work we are all doing together, regardless of what the future may bring.
***
Ken Swensen will be at the ACTAsia table at the Animal Rights National Conference in Los Angeles, July 10 to 13, sponsored by FARM. Pei Su will be speaking at the conference.
Animal Rights in Spiritualism 