A group of animal rights activists gathered near the Vatican on Friday dressed in red capes and fake horns to urge Pope Francis to denounce what they see as the barbaric practice of bullfighting.
The corrida, in which the animal usually ends up killed by a sword thrust by a matador in shining costume, is seen by supporters as an age-old tradition to be preserved, but condemned by critics as a cruel ritual.
"Catholic Church: Silence is Violence! Denounce bullfighting," read a banner held up by the activists near the ancient Roman Castel Sant'Angelo fortress on the banks of the River Tiber, in view of St Peter's Basilica. Since bullfighting events "are often held in honour of Catholic saints or during holy Christian celebrations, the Catholic Church can and must help end this abuse by publicly condemning bull torture in the name of religion," animal rights group PETA said in a statement.
"We are asking the pontiff, the pope, as the representative of the Roman Catholic Church, to publicly condemn, to denounce the torture that is done on bulls in the corrida," Patrizia Re, a spokesperson for PETA Italy, told Reuters. The Vatican's press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 1567, Pope Pius V did outlaw bullfighting, calling the practice "alien from Christian piety and charity" and "better suited to demons rather than men", but his ban eventually lapsed.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Church sex abuse is the elephant in the room as Pope Francis visits scandal-hit PortugalPope Francis will visit Portugal next week, where a scandal that erupted earlier this year over Catholic Church sex abuse is still simmering. A panel of experts reported in February that at least 4,815 Portuguese boys and girls had been abused since 1950.
Read more »
Thousands of American Catholics head to Lisbon for World Youth Day event, Mass with Pope FrancisAimee Celio of Fairfax, Virginia, wasn’t looking for love when she was part of a youth group that visited Rome in the summer of 1997 en route to the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day in Paris.
Read more »
'A superb dig': Archeologists uncover ruins believed to be Roman Emperor Nero's theater near VaticanOfficials say this 'exceptional' discovery is believed to be the place where Nero, the emperor of Rome from AD 54 until AD 68, rehearsed his poetry and singing performances.
Read more »
Opinion | The Vatican Can Clean Up Its Financial ActFrom WSJopinion: To address fiscal impropriety, church leaders would be wise to adopt the same methods of transparency and accountability that helped them address clerical abuse, writes Tim Busch
Read more »
Ancient Nero's Theatre found under future Four Seasons garden near VaticanArchaeologists uncover the long-lost ruins of an ancient Roman theatre, providing exceptional insights into Roman history, including rare artifacts from the 10th century.
Read more »
When Catholics Realized Sinéad O’Connor Was RightHer protest against the pope is seen in a very different light today.
Read more »