By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 20, 2026 at 12:27 AM
In a poignant appeal, Daniel Paden, a clergy abuse survivor and PETA employee, calls for the Roman Catholic Church to address its association with bullfighting, an activity he views as contradictory to the Church’s teachings on compassion and non-violence. Paden’s personal experience of abuse by a priest underscores a troubling inconsistency within the Church, which preaches against needless suffering of animals yet has some priests who support bullfighting. These events, often held in honor of saints, involve bullfighters inflicting severe harm on bulls, ultimately leading to their death.
Paden highlights the brutal nature of bullfighting, where bulls are subjected to lances, harpoons, and other forms of violence, often while conscious, before being killed. This practice starkly contrasts with the Church’s teachings that humans should not cause animals to suffer unnecessarily. Paden emphasizes the need for the Church to align its actions with its teachings by condemning all forms of abuse and violence, advocating for the protection of the powerless, a principle he believes is central to Christian values.
Historically, the Church has taken a stand against such cruelty. Pope Francis, in his encyclical *Laudato Si’*, stated that cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity. This sentiment echoes that of Pope Pius V in the 16th century, who banned bullfighting, describing it as “cruel and base spectacles of the devil” and against “Christian piety and charity.”
Paden’s call to action urges the Church to sever ties with the bullfighting industry, aligning with the broader Christian imperative to protect the vulnerable, as reflected in Micah 6:8, which calls for justice, mercy, and humility. This appeal resonates with the biblical call to act justly and love mercy, as seen in Proverbs 31:8-9, urging believers to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Through this lens, Paden’s message is not only a plea for animal welfare but also a call for the Church to uphold its moral and ethical responsibilities.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
