On the occasion of the feast of San Francisco de Asís, which is celebrated this Saturday, October 4, the Catholic Church promotes various initiatives to promote the legacy of love for the creation that the great Italian saint embodied during his life.
These activities include the blessings to the animals, where thousands of people take their pets to be blessed by the priest after the Mass. What can we learn about this tradition? Here we leave you 5 essential data:
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1. It has its origin in the spirituality of San Francisco de Asís
The blessing of animals is closely linked to the spirituality of San Francisco de Asís. Pope Pius XI, explained in his encyclical Rite Expiatisthat this great Italian saint “like Adam before his fall in the garden of Eden” and moved by his great love of nature, “even spoke with the animals themselves.”
“It seemed to be linked to them in a kind of brotherhood and they obeyed all their wishes,” Pío XI wrote, adding that regardless of how small they were, San Francisco called all the animals “brother and sister” with “a great and tender affection.”
“A love that, if it remains within the limits, is certainly not prohibited by any law. This love for animals was not due to any other cause that to his own love to God, that moved him to love these creatures because he knew they had the same origin as him and in all of them he perceived the goodness of God,” adds the Pope.
2. The rite of animals is found in the Of blessing
He Of blessing It is a liturgical book that is part of the Pontifical Romano. It gather the formulas and rituals of the blessings that the priest or the bishop can teach outside the sacraments, such as blessings of people, places, objects and animals.
One of the proposed sentences for the blessing of animals, in numeral 734 of the Of blessing:
“God created man and put it on earth so that, dominating all animals, confess the glory of the creator. Therefore, let’s praise him, saying: Blessed, Lord, who, taking care of your children’s comfort, gave us domestic animals as colleagues …
God, that you created everything with wisdom and man, created in your image, you gave dominion over animals with your blessing: your right hand and grant us that these animals serve our needs: and that we, your servants, helped by these aid present, seek more confidence the eternal goods. For Christ Our Lord. “
3. It is a way to express “goodness and gratitude” towards animals
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that animals are creatures of God. “He surrounds them with their providential care. With their mere existence, they bless him and give him glory,” says numeral 2416.
“That is why men owe them goodness. We must remember the sweetness with which saints like San Francisco de Asís or San Felipe Neri treated animals,” continues the catechism.
In 2004, the International Theological Commission He pointed out that the responsibility with which man is called to guard the creation “extends to the animal world.”
“Human beings must accept them with gratitude and even adopting a Eucharistic attitude regarding each element of creation, thank God for them,” explains the organism of the Roman curia.
4. The blessing of animals has “a beneficial effect” on man
San Juan Paul II said that education to respect animals – and in general of all creation – has “A beneficial effect on human being as such” because he contributes “to developing in him feelings of balance, moderation, nobility” and gets used to “go back from the greatness and beauty of creatures to the transcendent beauty and greatness of its author.”
In addition, the WASHINGTON ARCHIDOCESIS (United States) explains that the blessing of animals during the party of San Francisco de Asís, helps to better appreciate “the link between humans and animals, and recognizing them as gifts of God.”
5. Your pet can be blessed online this October 4
In the midst of the initiatives promoted by the Catholic Church this October 4 to bless the animals, the Cardinal Fernando Chomalí stands out in Latin America, who through his X account announced that – to honor San Francisco de Asís – he will celebrate this Saturday a Blessing online pets.
It is a moment of prayer that the faithful can access for free through the Zoom platform, from 18:00 (local time of Chile). The activity will also be broadcast live in the accounts of YouTube y Facebook of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.
Andrés Henríquez
I was born in Caracas in 1996. I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela, Latin America and the world. I have more than 6 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked from various fields for freedom and respect for fundamental rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.