To sign the petition : http://chng.it/vc2mXg9dpD
For the attention of Pope Francis and the leaders of the other Christian Churches,
For the fourth consecutive year, the organization FRA (Fraternité pour le respect animal) and now joined by Notre Dame de Toute Pitié are launching a petition during Lent on behalf of Easter lambs, who are a symbol of all animals unjustly killed.
We ask Pope Francis and the Christian authorities (Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants) to intervene on behalf of animals, especially on the occasion of Easter, when untold numbers of lambs, barely a few weeks old, will be killed.(1)
For Christians, the lamb symbolizes Christ as an innocent victim, but this in no way indicates that the lamb should be killed because of this identification(2). Eating lamb at Easter means that Easter then becomes the memorial not of Christ’s Resurrection, but of his death ; as well as disregards the fact that Christianity has long understood Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection to be intended to put an end to future sacrifices.
The tradition of eating lamb at Easter, therefore, has neither a theological nor an ethical basis : it is a popular and commercial practice and a distortion of the meaning of Easter which is meant to be the Celebration of Life. However, it is tolerated by the various Churches and this leads to a 50% increase in lamb meat consumption on the occasion of this holy day, with the death and violence that this implies(3).
We call on the churches,
– To sensitize the faithful to the contradiction represented by the consumption of lamb at Easter.
– To recognize the needlessness of meat (dead animals) for sharing and living together during the Easter celebration.
– To promote and encourage plant-based meals during Lent (as the Orthodox tradition already does).
– To denounce the commandeering of the Easter holy day for commercial purposes of which lambs are victims.
– To take a position in the defense of animals that die unjustly and unnecessarily by our habits, traditions and cultural beliefs.
Animals are certainly the category of living beings that suffer most from abuse and violence....and much of this is caused by human beings—but does not need to be. Silence is not an acceptable response to what is cruel to animals and unworthy of human nature.
We offer our thanks in advance to Pope Francis and the leaders of the other Christian Churches for the attention we hope they will give to this petition. We look forward to a response.
Jean Gaillard, Notre Dame de Toute Pitié
Estela Torres, FRA - Fraternité pour le Respect Animal
NOTES :
1.- https://www.l214.com/communiques/2016/03/29-abattoir-mauleon/
2.- "While the lamb is, for Christians, a symbol of Christ, the "Lamb of God", this creature should not suffer the consequences of this identification, on the contrary, he should be protected instead of being killed. Easter’s existence as a theological holy day holds no meaning for them, and they are not consenting participants in the celebration for which their lives are taken. Rather, they are victims. Their main interest as well as for all living beings is in keeping their lives." Estela Torres-FRA
3.-"Separated from his mother at birth, fattened hundreds of kilometers from his birthplace, mistreated, crammed into a transport truck and killed in a slaughterhouse far away from home... This is the story of a lamb’s short and terrible life. And for Easter, this year again, more than 115,000 "Easter" lambs will be served on the tables..." https://www.30millionsdamis.fr/actualites/article/10190-paques-laissons-les-agneaux-dans-les-pres/:
LINKS :
Notre Dame de Toute Pitié - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=notre-dame%20de%20toute%20piti%C3%A9&epa=SEARCH_BOX
FRA - Fraternité pour le respect animal - https://fra-respect-animal.org/
One Voice Association - Special édition : Animal sacrifices in France, magazine Noé no°45 (2012) - https://one-voice.fr/fr/read/s-RkTyvOwUTHkGK9kjMpFQ?lang=fr
file :///Users/raine/Downloads/no__67.pdf
FRA- Fraternité pour le respect animal - Additional information about the campaign : :https://fra-respect-animal.org/campagne-agneau-de-paques-plus-d-information-sur-la-condition-des-agneaux-tues