Should there be an institute dedicated to helping animals?

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Or would that be too frivolous and even unholy? What’s your take on this?
 
St Francis was an animal lover, quite a few monks, early hermits and Church fathers had animal motifs and stories connected with them.
 
If someone has discerned serving God by creating an animal shelter, becoming a veterinarian, helping find homeless pets homes, creating an institute, or any number of other ways they can help animals… then they should do it. There is no limit to they ways in which we can serve God.
 
Do you mean “institute” in the sense of an institute of consecrated life? I don’t see why there should not be such an institute whose charism is specific to caring for animals. Caring for animals is a good thing for Christians to do. If some people choose to dedicate their lives to that end, they are doing something good. It is not really different from an institute that is dedicated to nursing or teaching.
 
I have a statue of a monk saint with a wolf type dog.
 
I’ll start giving to animal charities when all the humans are well cared for.
 
Actually, the answer is no. One cannot found an actual institute of Consecrated life that deals specifically with animals. Congregations are founded for the sake of the salvation of those called to it, and those they come into contact with.

There was a woman who wanted to start a community that took care of animals exclusively, dedicated to the Good Shepherd. However, she was denied approval because she didn’t work for the salvation of human souls.

I have done research into this because I had a discerner ask about congregations that worked with animals. My new Congregation is “big picture”, and includes “green” Ministries.

Working with animals could possibly be remunerative work for the group, or a non-profit organization that is similar to a petting zoo. The animals would stay there, and the local poor could come in and visit with the animals. Space-challenged Japan does this.

@Theemonk, if you wish to speak with me off-forum, please feel free to do so.

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters, O.P.
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
 
The monks of New Skete have an active breeding program for German Shepherds. This is not their main focus, but it is a “remunerative work” they use to support themselves.

They are Orthodox, but I am sure that there are similar Catholic monasteries.
 
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Considering we have a symbiotic relationship with every living thing on the planet and without them we could not survive you would think we would want to.
 
Animals are not made in the image and likeness of God. To choose to serve animals is to risk idolatry and to abandon those made in God’s image who are in dire need. There are innumerable secular institutes who care for animals.

As it was with Jesus: “The poor you will always have with you, and you may do good to them whenever you please, but you will not always have Me”

Did Jesus place Himself before the Poor?

Yes.

Priorities. Our Lord first, everyone else after that. From where do we obtain the abilities and resources to help the poor?

Therefore, we must set our priorities prudently and justly.
 
I don’t see how the primary mission of a Christian organization could be for animals, unless those animals are put in some specific service of people.

IMO we can be charitable to animals “on the side” as long as this never hinders serving people.

@po18guy
We find Christ in the poor. He was Himself poor and calls his followers and the Church to poverty, I think to some degree at least. I don’t see how on a practical level how it’s possible to prioritize the poor over Christ.
 
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po18guy said:
To choose to serve animals is to risk idolatry and to abandon those made in God’s image who are in dire need.
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FALSE. I’m not going to get sucked into an argument or discussion over this, just don’t spread such nonsense. Trying to tie serving God’s creatures in with idolatry is not even close to sound theology, and it is also in no-way in line with Magisterium. Quite frankly it’s absurd to insulate that sin here. We are allowed…encouraged… to serve God’s creation. It goes all the way back to the Sixth day of creation, when God tied our stewardship over creation into making us in His image. A more sound argument would in fact be to say that it is a (but not the only) sacred duty God gave to Man. It even appears to be the first duty he assigned man.
Catholicism is a both/and faith, and there is no either/or. Serving animals is not the same as neglecting humans. Two distinctly different things.
 
po18guy said:
To choose to serve animals is to risk idolatry and to abandon those made in God’s image who are in dire need
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This is also the kind of comment potential converts and reverts read and think “Catholicism is nuts, I’m going somewhere else”. Which is concerning, considering it is not true in the slightest.
 
Animals should not be the primary goal for the consecrated life, but it can be a side thing if you have the time for it.
 
@PapyrusDouay The comment was “risk of idolatry”. That seems reasonable, to say the least, in this context, of a group of Religious being dedicated to helping animals. I just don’t see it as an acceptable mission, for consecrated life. Only if the animals had a purpose of serving people who are in some need.
 
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Should there be an institute dedicated to helping animals?​

Oct 4th on the liturgical calendar we find the Feast of St. Francis (1182-1226), the day the Church honors the friar from Assisi, Italy. He is the patron saint of the environment and animals because he loved all creatures and allegedly preached to even the birds. In recent years, many congregations have started to bless pets and other animals as a way to mark this day and honor his spirit. This has upped the saint’s popularity rating among church-going Americans. St. Francis: Patron saint of animals - and activism? | Bread for the World
 
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Our Kateri Ministry includes possibilities for ministering to the environment, animals and indigenous persons.

Lay associations can combine some form of Ministry to animals, while deepening their baptismal promises. An example would be a form of secular Franciscanism that has doggie daycare for days of recollection, or veterinary paramedics who do spay/neuter.

However, vowed forms of religious life cannot, unless it be a form of service/remunerative work, like training service dogs.

In addition to the monks and their dogs, there used to be Poor Clares in Texas who bred and sold miniature horses.
 
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