Animal advocates asked Pope Francis stop releasing doves of peace – they are too easy to kill
Italian animal rights organization ENPA (Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali) appealed to Pope Francis to stop the release of doves from the balcony of his residence in Rome after recently seagull and crow attacked on peace doves released from the Apostolic Palace to St. Peter’s Square According to Italian news agency GeaPress .
Birds born in captivity are not able to recognize predators and therefore easily become their prey. ENPA outstanding notes that an old tradition, dooming the birds to their deaths, is unacceptable and causes numerous protests.
Activists intend to organize on the Internet to collect signatures under this appeal to Pope Francis.
Recall the incident that gave rise to concern animal advocates, came after Sunday prayers of the Pope. Francis, in particular, called for peace in the Ukraine, where in November 2013, the confrontation of the opposition and the authorities. After his speech, the Pope, together with two children released two white doves of peace from the balcony of his quarters at St. Peter’s Square. However, birds do not have time to fly away far from the Apostolic Palace, as they were attacked by hungry seagulls and crows. Predators tried to kill peaceful birds, say eyewitnesses. However, losing a few feathers and beak received beatings, pigeons were able to fly away from his pursuers. Witnessed the incident resulted in tens of thousands of faithful gathered for Sunday mass.
Representatives of the clergy are even inclined to see in what happened, certain characters. Commented on Sunday’s events priest of the Roman Catholic Church Vitaly Uminsky. “I think if you look in terms of the spiritual, and the same happens with evil. When we fight against evil, something somewhere is lost, unfortunately. Important to know that our fate does not depend on Ukraine doves” – leads the “KP in Ukraine “words of the representative of the Church.
The tradition of releasing doves at St. Peter’s Square came under the late Pope John Paul II. Typically, for this to the Pope invited children from Italian Catholic society and after the speech the Pope give them a release of white doves, which should symbolize the desire for peace.