The first radical act of Jorge Mario Bergoglio after he became pope two and a half years ago was to adopt the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi. There has never been a Pope Francis before, and the choice was a signal that the new pontiff was heading in a new direction.
It is a direction that has so far proved wildly popular, as evidenced by the throngs of Catholics and others who greeted him in Cuba and the United States in recent days.
St. Francis of Assisi was a well-born Italian who lived 800 years ago. He renounced materialism and adopted a life of poverty. On or around his feast day, which is this Sunday, Oct. 4, many churches around the world hold blessing ceremonies for animals. St. Francis of Assisi Catholic parish in East 麻豆传媒映画is one of them.
鈥淪t. Francis was very passionate about the earth as being a reflection of what we would say is God鈥檚 creative power and love,鈥� says Father Eugenio Aloisio, the parish priest. 鈥淭he earth, the environment, is really a testament for St. Francis to God鈥檚 fidelity and love to the human family. He called the sun, the moon, the wind and the earth his brothers and sisters.鈥�
The pet blessing service at the church takes place Saturday at 2 p.m. (A festive meal takes place after Mass Sunday.) Although churches that perform pet blessings tend to do so around St. Francis Day, the ritual probably precedes the 12th century saint. At Aloisio鈥檚 church, there is a rendering of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the founder of monasticism and a leader in the early church, surrounded by animals.
At his East Van parish, Aloisio says the blessing has been going on since the church鈥檚 founding in 1923, though some priests have made it a bigger deal than others.
鈥淲e get dogs, cats, someone brought a snake last year, a lizard, budgies 鈥� you name it, it was here last year,鈥� he says. There has never been a conflict between species. The lion has so far laid down with the lamb. Or at least the dogs and cats have gotten along fine. But Aloisio wants to clarify what the blessing means.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 bless animals to make them holy,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we鈥檙e sanctifying the animals. It鈥檚 more of a recognition that, hey, this is a gift that comes from God. It鈥檚 a sign of God鈥檚 love for us. It makes us love the animals, recognizing that they鈥檙e part of the order of creation, the gift.鈥�
The service will include a part of the creation story from Genesis, then the canticle of Daniel, and Luke, Chapter 12 verses 22 to 32, in which Jesus says, 鈥淐onsider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?鈥�
On the parallels between Pope Francis and his saintly namesake, there is no doubt that the pope鈥檚 meal with street people in Washington, D.C. and his visit to a prison outside Philadelphia was intended to signify his church鈥檚 return to the values of Francis of Assisi.
鈥淚 almost hesitate to use the word radical in connection with this pope, but St. Francis was radical because he left everything behind,鈥� Aloisio says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to live this radical life of poverty, to be poorer than the poor that he serves鈥� We see Christ particularly in the poor, the marginalized, the weak, who also have no voice for themselves. I think the pope chose the name Francis because he wants to return the church to this evangelical poverty that is so important for us.鈥�
A similar pet blessing service takes place same time 鈥� Saturday at 2 鈥� at St. John鈥檚 Shaughnessy Anglican church. Organizers expect about 20 dogs and have invited the 麻豆传媒映画police mounted squad and also the 麻豆传媒映画Orphan Kitten Rescue Association with information about adoption.
Karin Fulcher will be there with her Labrador retriever cross, Summer. (Her cat, CB, nicknamed Killer, will stay home.) Summer is a regular at St. John鈥檚.
鈥淚鈥檝e got a little spot where we sit and I have a bed for her under the pew,鈥� says Fulcher, who is an ordained Anglican deacon, now retired. 鈥淪he鈥檚 the only one that comes regularly. The children that come love her and I think it鈥檚 sweet to see them with her. Some people who鈥檝e visited the church said, 鈥極h you have a dog in church. Do they allow dogs in church?鈥� Well this one does.鈥�
The annual blessing service recognizes the centrality of pets in our lives, she adds.
鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 one of the loveliest services,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o many of us, our animals and our pets are sort of our companions. They are in my case, I鈥檓 widowed, so my cat and my dog are my little family.鈥�
@Pat604Johnson
