Animals in Heaven? Is There a Good Answer to the Question?

Abstract

Responding to the question in the title of his book, Animals in Heaven? A Catholic Pastoral Response to Questions About Animals, Terry Martin appeals to the congruence between the beliefs and intuitions of ordinary Catholics (i.e., the sensus fidelium) concerning animals and what the Bible and the writings of saints, doctors, and fathers of the Church tell us about animals: that God wills not only the immediate but also the ultimate and final good of all earthly creatures. However, the presently limited official teaching of the Catholic Church, as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, continues to accept as definitive the anthropocentric position of Thomas Aquinas regarding animals. The question of animals is a prime example of the difference between dogma and theology, and pastoral theology in particular. Martin points out the weaknesses of the current official doctrine and expresses the hope that the voice of the laity advocating for animals, as intimated in the works of some contemporary theologians as well as in recent papal pronouncements and documents, will eventually prevail. In 15 concise yet full chapters, Martin explains how the faith of Catholics and Christians can help them understand animals, why they are here, what to learn from them, and how to relate to them ethically and compassionately. Martin clearly and refreshingly puts to rest any notion that caring for animals, expressing concern for their well-being, and believing that animals have a place in God's plan for “a new heaven and a new earth” is anything less than “completely Catholic or Christian.”