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LINK to share: https://hanglberger-manfred.de/tierbestattung-begruendung-english.htm |
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Why a religious ritual for a burial of companion
animals? Some years ago, a woman was
standing at the door of my parish with her dead dog in her arms, telling me
that she had heard that I sometimes held blessing services for
companion animals;
that's
why she drove with her dog, who died the night before, 35 kilometers to my
parish, to ask me to say a word of blessing for her dead dog before it was
buried. I was very touched by the
request of this woman and of course I fulfilled her wish. Two years later, a childless
couple visited me and asked me to hold a little farewell ritual for their
deceased dog, which was to be cremated in the next few days. Then they wanted
to come to me with the urn, in order to say goodbye to their dog, comforted
with prayers. The couple drove twice from 70 kilometers away to my parish. Not least due to the death
of our house cat, which my housekeeper had brought to the parish, I realized
how important it is to take seriously the spiritual pain of people in the
death of a "four-legged family member". I was deeply touched by how
much the farewell pain had put a strain on me, when our beloved
"Tiger" had died at the age of eighteen. These experiences moved me to engage more intensively
with what people, who lovingly live together with a companion animal for years, have in common with it, and on the other
hand, how the companion
animal and their deaths are seen in our Christian faith. In
the process, I came across to the church teachings on the "theology of
animals": Thank God, in Germany for
some years there are good magisterial statements by the Catholic and
Evangelic churches in several documents of faith. The most important of these
documents is: "Taking
responsibility for the creation" from 1985 In this 1985 document, there
are four theological statements that contain a major shift in the
perspective of Christians regarding the animals: 1.
The Genesis (recognizes) the animal as an animated being. (Chapter 52) 2.
Animals have their meaning and their value just in their mere existence,
their beauty and their wealth. (Chapter 65) 3.
The redemptive act of Jesus Christ extends not only to mankind, but to all
creatures (Chapter 61). 4.
The hope of resurrection creates hope for this world; the nonhuman creatures
are included in it. (Chapter 60) The complete document text
in Internet (German version): To order: http://www.dbk-shop.de/de/Deutsche-Bischofskonferenz/Arbeitshilfen/Verantwortung-wahrnehmen-fuer-die-Schoepfung.html To read on the EKD website: http://www.ekd.de/umwelt/6078.html Now, in
2015, Pope Francis in his encyclical "Laudato si" also formulated similar statements of faith
about the "other living beings" (Chapter
information in brackets) We
are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in
God’s eyes. (69) Yet
it would also be mistaken to view other living beings as mere objects
subjected to arbitrary human domination. (82) All
creatures are moving forward with us and through us towards a common point of
arrival, which is God, in that transcendent fullness where the risen Christ
embraces and illumines all things. Human beings, endowed with intelligence
and love, and drawn by the fullness of Christ, are called to lead all
creatures back to their Creator. (83) This
is the basis of our conviction that, as part of the universe, called into
being by one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a
kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred,
affectionate and humble respect.(89) Every
act of cruelty towards any creature is “contrary to human dignity”. (92) Jesus took up the biblical faith in God the Creator,
emphasizing a fundamental truth: God is Father (cf. Mt 11:25). In talking
with his disciples, Jesus would invite them to recognize the paternal
relationship God has with all his creatures. (96) We read in the Gospel that Jesus says of the birds
of the air that “not one of them is forgotten before God” (Lk 12:6). How then
can we possibly mistreat them or cause them harm? (221) At
the end, we will … be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery
of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude. …Eternal
life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature,
resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place …. (243) We
know that all the good which exists (in the house of nature) will be taken up
into the heavenly feast. (244) Teach us to discover the worth of
each thing, (246 Prayer for
our earth) The complete document “Laudato
si” >>> Addendum: That
animals have a soul and thus a kind of self-confidence and self-esteem, I
noticed during a special experience with our tomcat "Tiger"
(+2009): On a
jump after a dragonfly he had landed in the garden
pond and crawled out dripping wet. The sight of the whole process was so
funny that his mistress could not stop laughing. The fact that he was now
laughed at because of this unpleasant mishap made him so angry that he
aggressively jumped at his mistress to grab and bite
her for punishment. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Summary of my reasons for publishing a religious
burial ritual for companion animals: 1. As an aid to the grief
pain of people who have lost a beloved companion animal through death. As a pastor, one is challenged to offer the specific
help of the faith to all the strong stressful emotions of people. 2. There is a spiritual connection
between human and companion
animals beyond their death. 3. The
recent statements of faith concerning animals by the German bishops as well
as by the pope, in which ancient treasures of the faith are brought up, show
that also animals belong to God´s salvation history with its creation. 4. The
animals are acknowledged as animated beings and are integrated in the central
messages of the Christian faith about creation, salvation and perfection by
God. 5. Because
the practical handling of the animals in our country and around the world is
in many areas blatantly contrary to the Church's beliefs, these prayers can
raise awareness in many people of the value and meaning of animal lives. 6. Since
even faithful Christians are largely ignorant of the Church's doctrine of faith about
animals, they can hopefully become more aware through this burial ritual. 7. Because within the church
valuable and fundamental religious documents such as "laudato si" can often
quickly be forgotten, it is important that contemporary religious documents
will be formulated into a "prayed theology". Only if a contemporary
faith also shapes the personal spirituality of Christians, will it also
determine their actions in the long term. Manfred
Hanglberger – Catholic priest and family therapist (www.hanglberger-manfred.de ) |
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LINK to share: https://hanglberger-manfred.de/tierbestattung-begruendung-english.htm |
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Prayers for a burial
of companion animals >>> Prayer for the bullfighters >>> |