In a letter to participants at the recent EU Youth Conference in Prague Pope Francis urged that we should eat less meat to “break this self-destructive trend” of consumerism and prioritise sustainability in a bid to take better care of the environment.

His words now have Catholics considering what they should eat.

In his book ‘The Lost Religion of Jesus: Simple Living and Nonviolence in Early Christianity’  Keith Akers suggests that the central event of the Christian faith, the Crucifixion, was predicated upon Christ’s willingness to fight for animal rights.

“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,  and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: `My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it `a den of robbers.’   (Mark 11:15-18)

For Christians the critical thing to realise here is that one of the most important sources of income for the priests was the temple centred buying and selling of animals, cattle, fowl, lambs and doves for ritual sacrifice. When Yeshua ( Jesus ) throws the merchants from the Temple He is not just overturning tables He is overturning the source of income which sustains the powerful and wealthy priestly class thereby setting himself in conflict with them and ultimately paving the way for His Crucifixion at their hands.

‘‘The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” (Mark 11: 18)

If it is not acceptable for these animals to be slaughtered as an offering to God why would it be acceptable for them to be slaughtered as an offering on a plate for mankind particularly when God himself has Divinely gifted an abundantly rich and varied source of sustenance which avoids appalling pain and cruelty to animals.

God also said, ‘I give you all plants that bear seed everywhere on Earth and every tree bearing fruit which yields seeds : they shall be yours for food.’ ( Genesis 1:29-30 )

Of course all of the arguments above are irrelevant when it comes to the main reason that Christians should not eat flesh. Genesis tells us that the 6th Commandment says: ‘‘Thou shalt not kill’’. There is no qualification on the tablet that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai which says that we should not include animals in this new Covenant. God himself carves out The Commandment in stone as an eternal reminder that all life is sacred , ALL LIFE , not just mankind’s.

In the whole history of mankind it has never been easier to fulfill the 6th Commandment and refrain from slaughtering the innocent. In the past neither technology , agricultural policy or the will existed to replace a human extinction diet with a planet saving one but now the world is slowly realising that God’s gift of : ‘‘….all plants that bear seed everywhere on Earth and every tree bearing fruit which yields seeds…..’’ can offer humanity not just a wide variety of cruelty free deliciously healthy culinary delights but more importantly a way of saving ourselves from extinction.

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

• All Catholic institutions serving food including schools will be supported to provide a mouthwatering range of organic, planet friendly, pesticide free and health giving plant based menus.
• All Vatican media outlets will offer free advertisements and promotions to the plant based food industr
• An independent advisory body will be established by the Vatican to bring about divestment of  Vatican shareholdings in the meat and related industries and re investment of those funds into ethical and healthy meat free alternatives.
• A new Catholic high street fast food chain will be launched offering a wide range of ethically sourced healthy and delicious non meat food and drink refreshments with all profits invested in charities supporting people in food poverty.
• The Vatican will lead the way in encouraging all Catholics to adopt a meat free lifestyle by removing all meat products from its food outlets.
• Vatican media will be instructed and funded to create a range of social media interventions dedicated to establishing the Catholic Church as a world leader in planet friendly meat free, healthy living.

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“I may speak in tongues of men or of angels but if I am without Love I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophesy and know every hidden truth; I may have Faith strong enough to move mountains but if I have no Love I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess or even give my body to be burnt but if I have no Love I am none the better. Love is patient; Love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful nor conceited nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love takes no score of wrongs; does not gloat over others men’s sins but delights in the Truth. There is nothing Love cannot face; there is no limit to its Faith, its Hope and its Endurance.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-7