Clergy Abuse Victim Challenges Church’s Involvement in Bullfighting Practices

In a recent video produced by PETA, Daniel Paden, a clergy abuse victim and PETA employee, addresses the Roman Catholic Church’s ties to bullfighting. Paden, who has dedicated his career to combating cruelty to animals, calls for the Church and Pope Leo XIV to condemn all forms of abuse and violence, both towards humans and animals. He highlights a contradiction within the Church, noting that despite teachings against causing unnecessary suffering to animals, some priests support bullfighting, where bulls are subjected to brutal treatment.

Paden’s personal experience of sexual abuse by a priest underscores a broader issue of institutional accountability. He points out that bullfighting events, often held in honor of saints, involve bullfighters inflicting severe harm on bulls, who are social and sensitive creatures. The ritual includes driving lances into the bulls’ backs and necks, followed by further mutilation, and often results in the bulls’ slow and agonizing deaths.

Catholic priests sometimes officiate at religious ceremonies in bullrings, with some even participating in bullfighting while dressed in a cassock. Paden urges the Church to sever ties with the bullfighting industry, emphasizing that Christ calls on His followers to protect the powerless. He references Pope Francis’s encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” which states that cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity. Historically, Pope Pius V, who was later canonized, banned bullfighting in the 16th century, describing it as “cruel and base spectacles of the devil.”

The movement to end bullfighting has gained momentum, with advocates calling on the Pope to condemn this cruel practice. This aligns with the biblical principle of caring for the vulnerable, as seen in Micah 6:8, which calls for justice, mercy, and humility in action. The ongoing dialogue reflects a commitment to accountability and justice, resonating with Proverbs 31:8-9’s call to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

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