Good morning, Father,

My question about the matter in question relates to my experience next to volunteers who daily, with diligence and attention, take care and help many strays in difficulties, whether dogs or cats. In this regard, in fact, since some time I have doubted whether the people might acquire merit and help themselves with the Lord, when undertaking and putting into practice such initiatives consisting in offering them protection, care, food, affection.

In other words, can one grant a benefit, afore God, servicing non-human beings to reach heaven? like or unlike servicing other humans, and if less to what extent?

Thanks in advance and good work.

The Priest’s answer

Dear Luca,

1. to answer your question: whatever is done with charity is meritorious, it is a supernatural love infused by God in our hearts that allows us to love everyone and everything with the very heart of God.

The Holy Scripture says to us by Saint Paul: “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5).

2. With this spirit we can also love animals, which God exercises His providence to, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly through us.

3. While loving with charity means wishing that others may enjoy personal communion with God, animals cannot enjoy personal communion with God because they even have no knowledge of God.

Therefore, St. Thomas says that “the word neighbor cannot be extended to irrational creatures, since they have no fellowship with man in the rational life. Therefore charity does not extend to irrational creatures.” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 25, 3, sed contra).

4. However, he immediately adds that “we can love irrational creatures out of charity, if we regard them as the good things that we desire for others, in so far, to wit, as we wish for their preservation, to God’s honor and man’s use; thus too does God love them out of charity.” (Summa Theologiae, Ib., in corpus).

5. In this light, we can understand the attitude of Saint Francis, Saint Martin de Porres and other saints. Their love had nothing to do with the morbid affection that some have for animals. In fact, their love was always directed towards the Lord, Who was contemplated and loved in His creatures.

6. Now, I like remember what Pope Francis wrote in the encyclical Laudato sì: “Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he [trn: St. Francis] burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them «to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason». His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, «from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister’». Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behaviour. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.” (Laudato sì, 11).

7. And, he adds: “For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.” (Wis 13:5) and “eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.” (Rom 1:20).

“Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.” (Laudato sì, 12).

If we care for animals with this spirit and in God’s grace, we undoubtedly do meritorious deeds pleasing to God.

I bless you.

Father Angelo

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