PETA animal activists storm Pope Francis' audience to demonstrate against bullfighting
The protesters entered Paul VI Audience Hall wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Stop blessing corridas" and carrying signs saying "Bullfighting is a sin."
One of the PETA protesters who stormed Paul VI Audience Hall during an appearance of Pope Francis on Aug. 7, 2024.
Two PETA protesters stormed this Wednesday into the Paul VI hall during an audience of Pope Francis.
Both protesters entered the building wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Stop blessing corridas" and carrying signs that read "Bullfighting is a sin."
The protesters, who were detained and escorted out of the building, are part of PETA, an international animal rights organization, which issued an statement just after the arrest of its members, both of British nationality.
In that statement, the organization claimed that many countries had banned bullfighting and that, for this very reason, they were asking Pope Francis to also condemn the practice:
"As numerous countries are wisely banning this sick form of entertainment, Pope Francis must immediately denounce this blood sport and cut the Catholic Church's shameful ties with bullfighting."
Along with this, PETA pointed out that, recently, in his encyclical "Laudato Si,'" Pope Francis assured that "any act of cruelty to any creature is 'contrary to human dignity.'" On the other hand, the animal defense organization pointed out, it would not be the first time that a pope has taken a position against bullfights since, during the 16th century, Pope Pius V prohibited bullfights for being "cruel" and "far removed from Christian piety and charity."
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