Webinar: Animal Rights from a Faith Perspective

Bishop John Arnold image ICN/JS

A webinar for Catholics on animal agriculture and an introduction to animal rights from a faith perspective has been organised by Catholic Action for Animals, in collaboration with the Diocese of Salford and the Laudato Si' Action Platform.

Bishop John Arnold of Salford, lead bishop on the environment for the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, is a speaker at the event on Thursday 21 March. He will underline the urgent importance of prayer, discussion and action by every one of us, to tackle the environmental crises.

Others include Barbara Gardner from the Animal Interfaith Alliance and Lisa Levinson from In Defence of Animals who will introduce a short video made by conservationist Dr Jane Goodall.

Maureen Villanueva will present the Laudato Si Action Platform, an initiative of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development that equips institutions, communities, and families to take practical steps towards total sustainability in the spirit of integral ecology.

By enrolling, participants are invited to create a Laudato Si Plan to make progress within the seven Laudato Si Goals as a profound act of care in response to our global environmental crisis. Maureen is part of the Laudato Si' Movement Team and provides support in the Laudato Si Action Platform to individuals and institutions.

Daniel Mascarenhas SJ, a Jesuit from the US, will speak on the Biblical imperative for caring for animal rights, a concept found in the Old Testament narratives that describe laws for animal welfare. Daniel is a Jesuit scholastic working on his Masters of Divinity degree at Boston College.

Virginia Bell, founder of Catholic Action for Animals, will conclude with ideas for action in parishes, dioceses and communities. Virginia is the founder of Catholic Action for Animals and has campaigned for decades to bring the natural environment and the treatment of animals into the conscious life of the Catholic Church, both at a local parish level and with the Church at large. She is part of the Laudato Si Animators' Network in the UK.

To register for the webinar, please email: Barbgard.aia@gmail.com putting 'WEBINAR 21-3-24 REGISTRATION' in the Subject line.