Pope Francis named PETA’s Person of the Year

MANILA, Philippines - The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has named Pope Francis as person of the year for calling on humanity to see animals as God’s creation worthy of protection and respect. 

The pontiff, whose real name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. But PETA said this was not the deciding factor. 

In a statement, PETA explained that they chose Pope Francis for asking the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics and all citizens of the world to reject domination over God’s creation, treat animals with kindness and respect the environment.

PETA views the pope’s statement as a subtle call to go vegan, one of the group’s advocacies.

According to the United Nations, a global shift toward vegan diet is necessary in slowing the most dangerous effects of climate change, including the extinction of wildlife.

In his 2015 treatise Laudato Si’, Pope Francis stressed the importance of treating animals with kindness.

“Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity… We are not God… We must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures,” he wrote.

“With more than a billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis’ animal-friendly teachings have a massive audience,” PETA Asia vice president Jason Baker said.

“His Holiness is PETA Asia’s Person of the Year for spreading the message of showing kindness to all, regardless of their religion or species,” he added.