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Dear Father Angelo,  

I wonder why God, infinitely good, allowed humans to kill animals for food.  

At first, He gave the fruits of the earth, and only after the flood did He grant animals as food.  

Why?

Response from the Priest 

My dear friend,  

1. The sacred text states that God permitted humans to eat the flesh of animals after the flood.  

It reads: “Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants” (Gen 9:1).

2. Some theologians, including Gaetano, one of the main commentators on St. Thomas, thought that humans ate animal flesh before the flood, though not in the earthly paradise but after original sin.  

I am not sure what the reason was. He probably inferred it from the fact that “Abel became a keeper of flock” (Gen 4:2).

3. The Jerusalem Bible in the French edition, where the notes are more extensive than in the Italian edition, writes: “In the peace of the world that was born (that is, in the earthly paradise, ed.), humans and animals lived on plants (Gen 1:29). The new age will be harsher, and people will eat meat.”

4. The note is brief, but it is still telling.  

After original sin, humans became subject to diseases, infirmities, and aging. They needed more nutritious food to recover. Don’t we do the same today?

5. St. Thomas raises the question of whether Adam, in the state of innocence, needed animals for his body’s needs.  

His answer is a no: “In the state of innocence man would not have had any bodily need of animals:  

– neither for clothing, since then they were naked and not ashamed, there being no inordinate motions of concupiscence;  

– nor for food, since they fed on the trees of paradise;  

– nor to carry him about, his body being strong enough for that purpose. But man needed animals in order to have experimental knowledge of their natures. This is signified by the fact that God led the animals to man, that he might give them names expressive of their respective natures.” (Summa Theologica, I, 96, 1, ad 1).

6. He also mentions St. Jerome’s statement that “God gave man mastership over the animals, although before sin he had no need of them: for God foresaw that after sin animals would become useful to man” (Ib., ob. 3).

7. Above all, he affirms that “Now all animals are naturally subject to man. This can be proved in three ways. First, from the order observed by nature; for just as in the generation of things we perceive a certain order of procession of the perfect from the imperfect (thus matter is for the sake of form; and the imperfect form, for the sake of the perfect), so also is there order in the use of natural things; thus the imperfect are for the use of the perfect; as the plants make use of the earth for their nourishment, and animals make use of plants, and man makes use of both plants and animals. Therefore it is in keeping with the order of nature, that man should be master over animals. Hence the Philosopher says (Polit. i, 5) that the hunting of wild animals is just and natural, because man thereby exercises a natural right. Secondly, this is proved by the order of Divine Providence which always governs inferior things by the superior. Wherefore, as man, being made to the image of God, is above other animals, these are rightly subject to his government. Thirdly, this is proved from a property of man and of other animals. For we see in the latter a certain participated prudence of natural instinct, in regard to certain particular acts; whereas man possesses a universal prudence as regards all practical matters. Now whatever is participated is subject to what is essential and universal. Therefore the subjection of other animals to man is proved to be natural.” (Ib.).

8. In short, animals do not have an immortal soul.  

God created them to serve humans for nourishment, clothing, defense, transportation, and so on.  

In this way, animals are part of God’s supernatural plan for humanity and unknowingly serve a design of salvation and sanctification.  

Thus, God, infinitely good, leads animals to serve a greater good.

I bless you, wish you all the best, and remember you in prayer.  

Father Angelo