Blessing of animals

Annually now, on or around October 4, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis with a blessing of animals and prayers for creation.[7]

Catholicism[12] has specific liturgies for the blessing of animals, highlighting creation and interdependence.[13] United Methodists also have a specific liturgy highlighting creation and mutual interdependence.[14]

Separate variants of Christianity will sometimes combine to hold joint, ecumenical, animal blessing ceremonies, for example Catholic and Episcopal Church (United States) churches.[15]

Many synagogues now have ceremonies for the blessing of animals, and some say the idea may have originated in ancient Judaism. The Jewish ceremony is often performed on the seventh day of Passover (in the spring) as a celebration of the Hebrews’ (and their animals’) emancipation from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Many Jewish congregations schedule blessings of the animals after the High Holy Days, with ceremonies around the second weekly Torah portion of the Jewish Year, the Parashat Noach, the portion about Noah and the ark, the saving of both humans and other animals, they also being gifts from God.[16]

Other Jewish ceremonies are derived from the Christian ceremony and are not derived from traditional Judaism, which gives some concern for more traditional followers of Judaism.[8]

Elvis Best "read" the Torah at his Bark Mitzvah in 2007.

Blessing of cars, horses, and vehicles in front of the church of San Pedro de Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica

Some towns and cities have the blessing of animals as a cultural event, for example:

• San Juan del Río, on January 17, feast day of San Antonio.
• Unterammergau, the site of the 11th-century Chapel of St Leonhard, patron saint of horses, which is the terminus of the annual Leonhardritt and Blessing of the Animals.
• Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street, an event from 1930, is held every Sabado de Gloria (Holy Saturday). It is an all-day event with vendors, performers, and a procession where participants bring their animals to be blessed by religious authorities and others.[22]
• Madrid, where the festival has been celebrated largely uninterrupted since the 19th century. It is also held in other parts of Spain, such as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the northern city of Burgos.[5]
• During the latter part of the 20th century, the blessing of animals and pets in the United States has become mainstream cultural activity, with services occurring in 48 states and districts in 2008.[7]

Rare animal instances can have great significance in belief systems and may be ritually blessed as part of that tradition, for example the white buffalo, Kenahkihinén, in North America.[23]

The blessing of a pet dog.

There are now a very large number of places blessing animals, in particular pets and companion animals, regularly on an annual basis. A very small sample of these include:

• St. Matthias, Bellwoods, a pioneer in Toronto, for liturgically based blessings in autumn
• All Saints Episcopal Church[24]
• Beaver Lake, Mount Royal, for over 50 years, initially by Canon Horace Baugh[3]
• St Cyprian's Church, Lenzie[4]
• Elisabethenkirche, Basel offers a church service, Schöpfungsfeier, for the blessing of the human-animal relationship
• St. Francis Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut:[25]
• St Bartholomews Anglican Church at Mount Gravatt: The annual pet blessing ceremony is held to coincide with the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, considered the patron saint of animals. The ceremony commenced in 2010 and features bible readings, songs and individual prayer for each pet.[2]
• Church of San Anton in central Madrid, Day of Saint Anthony, patron saint of animals[5]
• Anglican Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary: Every fall Since 1998[26]
• Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu Shinto temple, Hawaii[9]
• A Rabbi's backyard in Cleveland, Ohio[8]
• The San Gabriel Mission: The San Gabriel Mission parish performs blessings as a part of its annual San Gabriel Mission Fiesta, celebrating the 1771 founding of the 4th of California's 22 Catholic missions.[27][28][29]

Animal chaplaincy is typically associated with veterinary work. Veterinary chaplains minister in regard to the spirituality associated with animals and the human-animal bond and responsibilities, and perform animal blessings as part of a broad range of services.[35]

The blessing of a working animal, a military dog.

Any animal can be blessed and a wide variety have been blessed during blessing ceremonies. It depends on what people bring on the day. Included have been:

• Australia: dogs, cats, tropical birds, reptiles, rodents, native Australian bees,[2] goldfish, ferrets, hermit crabs, mounted police horses, rabbits, mice[1]
• Spain: dogs, rabbits, iguanas, doves[5]
• Canada: horses, dogs, cats, birds, donkeys, sheep, hawks, parrots, weasels, skunks[26]
• Working animals, for example military or police dogs.

The safety of animals and people is important. Due consideration also needs to be given to any mess some animals may make.[26]

PETA have an alternative view on animal blessing events, and proffer the following points:[36]

• Cats are terrified and should be left at home. The blessing is for the animals so do not sacrifice the animals' welfare for the ceremony.
• Many animals, all created by God, miss out on the blessing, and are mutilated and abused for our sake. PETA states St. Francis would be appalled by the degree of suffering that we inflict on animals to indulge our acquired taste for their flesh.
• PETA suggest two Franciscan Animal Blessings.

• Animal worship
• Comparison of Islamic and Jewish dietary laws
• Pet humanization

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Animal blessing.

• Guerrero, Diana L. (2007). Blessing of the Animals: A Guide to Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. ISBN 9781402729676.