Campaigners urge Pope to reaffirm principles of Laudato Si' regarding circuses

Baby elephant being 'disciplined'

The UK-based Catholic Concern for Animals and many more Christian animal rights groups have written an open letter to Pope Francis protesting at the use of wild animals in circuses, and in particular a circus which took place at the Vatican last month.

On February 11th the Papal Almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, organised an entertainment for refugees and the poor and marginalised of Rome. The show was a traditional circus and included animal 'performances' from elephants, lions, and other animals - this despite the fact that the use of wild animals in circuses is banned in over 40 countries, including many Catholic countries around the world.

During the show, Cardinal Krajewski - who has this year undertaken several visits to Ukraine taking medical supplies and ambulances - lay on the ground in front of an elephant which gently walked over him - to great applause from the audience.

Polish campaigner Barbara Niedzwiedz wrote KONTAKT Magazine: "The cardinal, a theologian, known for his sensitivity to poverty, experienced and wise, demonstrated courage in the face of an animal broken by torture. This demonstration, and the show as a whole, is meant to give encouragement to people in difficult life situations. Judging by the tumultuous applause, it did." But she points out out that the early Church did not abuse animals in this way and asks "what happened to Pope Francis' teaching on 'integral ecology and the moral state of the world?"

Charity director Duncan McNair said: "This story shows I'm afraid what Save The Asian Elephants (STAE) has long known, that all swathes of society in every country are at every level largely in ignorance of the abominable brutality committed on elephants in captivity. I was myself, till I started looking more closely nine years ago - after which I founded Save The Asian Elephants. Many people pay with their lives - we recently interviewed Helen Costigan who nearly did. Her 20 year old sister Andrea, a student nurse, died in her arms after a frenzied attack by a stabbed, tormented Asian elephant at a resort in Thailand still today being promoted by 120 UK-based travel companies.

Duncan added: "The Cardinal was very poorly advised - and very lucky."

"This ignorance is a legacy of concealment by an often ruthless and cynical travel industry hellbent on the pursuit of profit over everything - animal welfare and human safety.

"That is why I and STAE have been pioneering a campaign for new law to ban the UK advertising and sale of venues abroad where elephants and their babies, and other endangered species like apes, big cats, bears, dolphins, are brutalised - in which the UK market plays a shameful leading role. STAE has revealed 1,212 peddling these places where profits are made from extreme cruelty and death of endangered iconic species.

"On 3 February 2023 the Commons unanimously approved the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill which now goes to Commons Committee Stage on 8 March. It is a very big step forward for these poor creatures, hopefully before its too late. Politics is in full play in Westminster, Holyrood and Cardiff (an example in my letter attached) and the travel lobby in Westminster is well-resourced but STAE will do all we can to strengthen the Bill."

Catholic Concern for Animals have written an open letter to Pope Francis "to reaffirm the values and principles set out in Laudato Si', and to assert the opposition of these principles and values to the use of animals for human entertainment, particularly in the context of circuses."

LINKS

CCA Open Letter to Pope Francis: https://catholic-animals.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CCA-letter-to-Pope-Francis-about-Rome-Circus-event-3.pdf

CCA campaign: https://catholic-animals.com/cca-vatican-circus-campaign/.

Save The Asian Elephants (STAE): www.stae.org

Watch: The Elephants of Nong Nooch: A Modern Horror Story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVxxmnSlsVU

and: Elephant smuggling exposed: UK tourists fuel live elephant trade between Burma & Thailand

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX7VWC3bJ1Q&t=28s