PETA animal activist breaks into the general audience with Pope Francis

Two activists from the animal rights group PETA have burst into the beginning of the general audience with Pope Francis held this Wednesday, August 7, in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican, displaying slogans against bullfighting in English and Italian on a banner and on their t-shirts.

After Pope Francis began the event with the sign of the cross and the liturgical greeting and the reading of the biblical passage had barely begun, which on this occasion was from the first chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke, the two animal activists stood up from their seats to make their protest.

Thus, they have raised some banners that read “bullfighting is a sin.” On the front of their shirts you could read: “Stop the blessing on bullfighting,” in English.

The moment was not broadcast on the live Vatican News signal, although it was noted that something was happening when the reader interrupted her work for a moment, before continuing while looking askance towards the hallway of the Paul VI Hall.

As seen in a video shared by Reuters Agency correspondent Joshua McElwee on

It is not the first time that PETA activists (acronym for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in English) interrupt an event chaired by Pope Francis.

In January of this year, while the Pontiff presided over the Second Vespers of the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, another PETA activist was noted with the same mode of operation that this Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall.