Yes. We don’t know if they have immortal souls. But I believe that God will bring them to His kingdom. it is mentioned in the BIBLE that animals indeed will go to heaven. God loves animals. It is mentioned several times in the Bible that there will be animals in heaven.All living things (humans, plants, animals) have souls but only humans have immortal souls. The souls of plants and animals cease to exist when they die.
Animals (no matter what pet lovers might think) do not go to Heaven. Only humans have a supernatural end. This is what the Church teaches.
CCC 367 Sometimes the soul is distinguished from the spirit: St. Paul for instance prays that God may sanctify his people “wholly”, with “spirit and soul and body” kept sound and blameless at the Lord’s coming. The Church teaches that this distinction does not introduce a duality into the soul. “Spirit” signifies that** from creation man is ordered to a supernatural end and that his soul can gratuitously be raised beyond all it deserves to communion with God.**
Can God create a circular triangle?One needs to be fearful of putting God in a box. In the end we must not forget that this is Gods domain, with His rules. We honestly cannot state what He can or cannot do.
We do know animals don’t have immortal souls. What do you think the Church teaching says.Yes. We don’t know if they have immortal souls. But I believe that God will bring them to His kingdom. it is mentioned in the BIBLE that animals indeed will go to heaven. God loves animals. It is mentioned several times in the Bible that there will be animals in heaven.
A righteous man cares for his animals, but even the mercy of the wicked is cruel. Proverbs 12:10
What aboutWe do know animals don’t have immortal souls. What do you think the Church teaching says.
ONLY humans have a supernatural end, meaning our souls are immortal. As only humans have a supernatural end it means animals do NOT have a supernatural end and therefore cannot have an immortal soul.
By the way it does not mention anywhere in the Bible that animals will go to Heaven.
Here are a few things He cannot do:One needs to be fearful of putting God in a box. In the end we must not forget that this is Gods domain, with His rules. We honestly cannot state what He can or cannot do.
Isaiah 11:6 has nothing to do with animals going to Heaven. It is about peace and harmony on Earth. See the commentaries from various bibles. None of them agree with your interpretation.What about
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.?
I don’t doubt for a moment animals will be in Paradise. What I am wondering is if any of them know that already, and whether they can choose not to accept it.
The issue with that is that we have no function of stating if He did those of not. We are not all knowing, so we are incapable of knowing if He is lieing or deceiveing or not.Here are a few things He cannot do:
He cannot lie
He cannot deceive or be deceived
He cannot act contrary to His nature.
Your first question is: “Is it a defined, revealed, and infallibly proclaimed Catholic doctrine that human beings are the only earthly creatures with immortal souls?”Is it a defined, revealed, and infallibly proclaimed Catholic doctrine that human beings are the only earthly creatures with immortal souls? Obviously the Church accepts the existence of angels. And it also has left open the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. But what about our own animals? What if our communications with dolphins or chimpanzees greatly improves in the future, and we get to talking theology?
Dolphin: What will happen after I die?
Catholic scientist: Sorry Flipper, but you are a “lower animal”, and will cease to exist upon your death. We humans get to live forever, though.
Dolphin: That doesn’t sound quite fair… but if the Lord God who made the Oceans wills it, who are we to speak against Him?
Catholic scientist: Wait a minute… you know about God?
Dolphin: Duh… Do you?
Well, how would you reply to Flipper?
How did we arrive at this?The issue with that is that we have no function of stating if He did those of not. We are not all knowing, so we are incapable of knowing if He is lieing or deceiveing or not.
In the end, yes He can do those things. He is the God, what are you going to do about it? Call Him names? Try to sue Him? Send Him off to jail? While it may seem silly, about the only thing we can do is pray for Mercy.