Are Animals Allowed In An Orthodox Church
Submitted by Stella Stylianou, Founder and President of ARGOS and Globe Animal 24-hour interval Ambassador
Cyprus â€" an island steeped in history and known equally the island of saints. Co-ordinate to Fable, in the twelvemonth 327 Advertizement, St. Helena, female parent of Constantine the Great, was shipwrecked off the coast of Cyprus on her manner from Jerusalem to Constantinople bearing the Holy Cross. At that time, Republic of cyprus was a desolate barren country and overrun with poisonous snakes. Saint Helena ordered a boatload of cats from Asia Minor to be delivered to Cyprus to kill the poisonous snakes and make the isle habitable again. The gunkhole landed at Greatcoat Gata (Cats) and the Monastery built at that place is today known as St. Nicholas of the Cats.
The cats were revered and so and although Republic of cyprus gild is strongly influenced by religion and the Orthodox Church, attitudes to animals is far from Christian and the teachings of the Bible. In Cyprus today, the cats are regarded as vermin and cruelly exterminated past various inhumane methods. The Cyprus Tourist Board (CTO) tries to paint a dissimilar picture show for the visitors with movie postcards depicting ambrosial cats sitting on window sills and doorsteps looking healthy, content and at-home. These photos are deceptive and far from the actual truth, every bit visitors to the island soon find their leisure facilities are swarming with starving, sick and injured cats, and devious dogs. The beautiful countryside and villages are marred by the sight of and so many dogs kept in filthy cages, emaciated devious dogs roaming the highways, horses and donkeys tied to stakes in the middle of fields nether the blistering lord's day. Would any sensitive person enjoy their holiday when it is spent feeding and rescuing animals?
The growing problem of animal neglect and cruelty has spiraled out of command since the economical recession with an estimated 2,000,000 cats and estimated 200,000 abandoned dogs annually. The government has no infrastructure to accost the problem because animal intendance and protection has never been on their agenda. Information technology has become a serious problem and i that has continued to torment our society. From 2006, since the germination of the entrance hall grouping ‘Cyprus Voice for Animals’ and the union of animate being welfare organizations, we accept continued applying pressure to both the Church and authorities for the enforcement of the relevant animal welfare Laws and for the influential Orthodox Church of Republic of cyprus to take a stand on the subject of widespread poisoning, cruelty, abandonment and sterilization of animals.
Finally, on the 14/03/2014, Republic of cyprus Phonation for Animals had the beginning meeting with Metropolitan Bishop Isaiah of the Church of Tamasou and Oreinis in Nicosia. The young Bishop Isaiah is a visionary and quite a strong influence in the Holy Synod. The discussion was conducted in a very cordial and extremely constructive environs and following this meeting, a farther meeting was conducted where groups were formed for activity and cooperation. Post-obit these meetings, the environmental committee set by Bishop Isaiah organized a lecture on 09/03/16 on the subject:‘What practice you know almost animals’ – the existent attitude of a christian towards animals.
The purpose and goals are as outlined below, but the main target is to clarify and promote the messages of the Orthodox Church on the upstanding treatment of animals. Further, to promote responsible ownership and care of domestic animals, seminars for clerics and the role of the cleric on fauna issues. We believe this to exist a historic move from the Orthodox Church.
THE ORTHODOX Church GROUP FOR THE PROMOTION OF Creature WELFARE.
Construction of Group:
Chairman – Bishop Isaias or Secretarial assistant, depending upon who is present.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES:
To analyze and promote church teaching on the ethical treatment of animals.
- As image of God, man must reflect God who is dear.
- Dominion rightly interpreted does non mean domination or ruthless tyranny only as an image of God, who treats all things with dear, kindness and compassion.
- Animals should be treated with love, kindness, compassion and respect as they belong to God.
- To teach the connection of all creatures, to each other and to God.
- The dangers of sin to our salvation.
- The spiritual dangers to human being of cruelty, abuse or fail of animals.
- The spiritual dangers of killing for pleasure or enjoyment.
- The status of an animal’s soul has goose egg to practise with how nosotros should treat it, which should be with dearest.
- Define sin.
- Adopting animals from shelters is encouraged.
To clarify and define sin in relation to animals.
- Cruelty, abuse and fail of animals is a sin.
- Deliberately causing harm, pain, suffering to animals is a sin.
- Poisoning is a sin.
- Abandonment is a sin.
- Breaking Laws protecting animals is a sin â€" eastward.g. illegal hunting, trapping or netting of animals is a sin.
- Killing for pleasure is a sin.
Promote responsible ownership and handling of animals.
Education – to promote church teachings on man's responsibility towards animals.
FOR PRIESTS:
- In seminaries and in-service training on relevance of animals to God.
- Priests office equally paradigm of God – responsibleness to show love, kindness and compassion in their lives and teachings.
FOR CHILDREN/PUBLIC:
- Church building teachings and how to exist a responsible owner, poetry contest.
FOR Church building:- HOMILIES; Church Grouping MEETINGS:
- Divers days for blessing animals such every bit World Animal Solar day.
- Different Saint Days such as Mamas, Modestos, Irenaeus, Isaac the Syrian/Nineva, Ephrem the Syrian, etc.
Source: https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/blog/index.php/2017/01/31/historic-move-by-orthodox-church-of-cyprus/
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