The Catholic Church must sever its ties with bullfighting, argues Fr Terry Martin.
Pope Francis famously wrote in Laudato Si’ that “Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity.” Paragraph 2418 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church also states: “[I]t is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.” Yet animals are taunted, terrorised, ridiculed, repeatedly stabbed and eventually killed in bullfights.
Some of these spectacles are conducted with the Church’s blessing, as demonstrated by George Young’s article in the November edition of the Catholic Herald. As the only pope to have chosen the name Francis, the patron saint of animals, I pray that the Holy Father will disavow any association with the bullfighting industry and call out members of the clergy (and other Catholics) who participate in this violent, unchristian pursuit.
Bullfights stand in stark contrast to Christ’s teachings of mercy and compassion. Every year, tens of thousands of bulls, all God’s creatures, are goaded and repeatedly stabbed with a lance and harpoon-like banderillas until they’re weak and defenceless.
Then, the matador – literally “killer” – plunges a sword into the animals’ hearts or lungs; if this doesn’t kill them, a knife is used to sever their spinal cord.
While the bulls are still conscious, their ears and tails are cut off as “trophies”. They are then dragged out of the arena in chains, and more bulls are brought in so that the appalling cycle of cruelty can continue. It’s disingenuous to call it a “fight” – the bulls don’t stand a chance. It is, literally, an unequal power game of oppression over weakness.
As sacrilegious as it is, bullfights are held in predominantly Catholic countries to entertain bloodthirsty spectators who cheer while the victims are attacked and killed. Chapels have even been built inside bullrings, and Catholic celebrations, including the Spanish festivals of San Fermín in Pamplona and San Isidro in Madrid as well as Feria de Pâques in Arles, France, often feature corridas (bullfights).
Pitting an exhausted, terrified bull against a sword-wielding human is immoral and flies in the face of the message of compassion at the heart of God’s teachings. Humans are called upon to love and respect animals, all of whom bear the mark of their maker.
Equating a bullfight with the Mass – the bloodless sacrifice that gives Catholics new life – as some do, is blasphemous. Killing absolves no one of their sins. Inflicting agony and terror on vulnerable, terrified creatures to the barbaric delight of cheering crowds is an affront to God, their creator.
St John Henry Newman once lamented, “[T]here is something so very dreadful, so satanic in tormenting those who never have harmed us… who are utterly in our power… that none but very hardened persons can endure the thought of it.”
Shamefully, even children as young as six are being taught to torture and kill in bullfighting schools. Surely this must outrage God, who instructed humans to be caretakers of creation and not to kill?
However, there are, thankfully, some signs of change: more than 125 Spanish towns and cities have taken a stand against bullfighting, and the majority of the Spanish population do not attend bullfights. Spain’s largest newspaper decided, recently, to remove the bullfighting section from its printed pages, and the journalist who covered bullfighting declared that promoting the spectacle was “not progressive”.
Our faith compels us to do the right thing. Humans were given “dominion” over animals – a sacred responsibility to be good stewards, not to exploit them for a deranged sense of amusement. We want, surely, to follow Christ’s instruction and “proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15)?
I pray that Pope Francis will heed the call of the millions of people around the world who are demanding action; that he will denounce bullfighting; and, further, that, with his explicit support, an end to the Catholic Church’s support of this vile blood sport will be seen.
As long ago as the 16th century, Pope St Pius V banned the torture of bulls for entertainment, saying it was “removed from Christian piety and charity”.
That should go without saying. Bullfights are cruel and have no part in legitimate religious celebrations. The Pope has authority over canon law. It’s his duty to remind the clergy of the Church and all other Catholics, to be kind to all living, feeling beings; to show the world’s one billion Catholics that bullfighting catastrophically violates Christian virtues.
No one, Catholic or otherwise, should support bull torture under any circumstances. I have signed Peta’s letter urging the Holy Father to take a stand against bullfighting, and invite other Catholics to do likewise.
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