St. Francis, Pope Francis & pets

October is a month that every pet lover loves.  For us, it means that we are moving closer to the celebration of World Animal Day.

World Animal Day (WAD) started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then, it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world.

The World Animal Day celebration here in the Philippines and in most other Catholic countries is held on Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

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Last year, when the news that we had a new Pope came out, it was a little past midnight and, like many millions, I was “Pope watching.”

When I first heard that he would be called Pope Francis, I thought, like many others, that he would name himself after Francis Xavier because he is a Jesuit priest.

But it was after Francis of Assisi that he chose to be named — and then the pet lover in me thought, “He must love animals and the environment, too.”

In his first homily on the day he was installed as pope, Pope Francis said, “Today, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope, it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds.”

He added, “The vocation of being a ‘protector,’ however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness.”

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And then there is the story of Alessandro Forlani, a sight-impaired journalist from Italian RAI radio. As he reports on www.pawnation.com:

“While the journalists lined up to be greeted by Pope Francis — some performing the baciamano, the traditional kissing of the Pope’s ring, others embracing him in bear hugs — Vatican officials approached.

“‘As I waited in line to enter the hall, the security guards told me that most likely I wouldn’t be allowed to get in with the dog,” Forlani wrote on his Facebook page. “They said that Pope Francis had asked to meet me. He had seen Asià (a Golden Retriever) and wanted to see both of us.”

Asià walked on the stage, briefly sniffed the Pope’s white dress and black shoes and then waited patiently as Forlani talked to the pontiff.

“I asked for a blessing for my wife and daughter at home,” Forlani told Discovery News.

“In a fitting image for a Pope inspired by the patron saint of animals, Francis bent down to caress the dog.

“He said, ‘And a special blessing for your dog, too.’ He broke the ceremonial rules as my presence on stage with Asià wasn’t previously arranged,” Forlani said.

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There are many stories about St. Francis of Assisi and his love for animals. One that I always remember is how he talked to the birds. It is said that, one day, while traveling with some companions, St. Francis and his group got to a place where there were lots of birds in the trees on either side of the road. It is said that St. Francis spoke to the birds and said:

“My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in every place give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you, you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore, always seek to praise God.”

Francis believed that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of the primordial sin of man. He preached to man and beast the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God and the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of God’s creation and as creatures ourselves.

Legend has it that, on his deathbed, St. Francis thanked his donkey for carrying and helping him throughout his life, and his donkey wept.

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This year, in celebration of World Animal Day 2014 and the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Phlippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Tiendesitas will hold a grand “Pet Blessing” at the Tiendesitas Activity Center on Oct. 5 at 5 p.m.

PAWS invites all pet owners and animal lovers to celebrate this special day by having their companion animals individually blessed by Fr. Jose Antonio Paras, SDB.

There will be a mini-program before the 5 p.m. Mass.

Native pet owners are encouraged to bring their pets because the first 50 Aspin and first 50 Puspin registrants who will purchase an “I am blessed!” pet bandana will receive vouchers for a free spay-neuter procedure at the PAWS clinic. Vouchers are transferable to fellow aspins or puspins — native dogs and cats in need of the spay-neuter if your pet has already undergone the procedure.

See you there.