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Summary
- Short prayers cover the moments an animal’s illness brings: pain, the vet appointment, a frightening diagnosis, surgery, treatment that is not working, old age, the decision to put an animal to sleep and its death.
- The Catholic Roman Ritual has two blessings for animals suffering from serious illness; a priest gives them, and anyone can pray their words at home.
- Bible verses for a sick animal include Psalm 36:6 (“O LORD, thou preservest man and beast”), Psalm 145:9, Proverbs 12:10, Matthew 10:29 and Job 12:10.
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church says God “surrounds them with his providential care” and that people owe animals kindness (paragraph 2416), and that causing animals “to suffer or die needlessly” is contrary to human dignity (paragraph 2418).
- Catholics and Orthodox ask saints linked with animals to pray for them, among them Anthony the Abbot, Roch, Francis of Assisi, and in Russian Orthodox custom Modestus and Blaise; most Protestants pray to God alone.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (1611), text of Project Gutenberg eBook no. 10 (Exodus 31:3; 2 Samuel 12:3; Job 12:10; Psalm 36:6; 104:30; 145:9, 16; Proverbs 12:10; Jonah 4:11; Matthew 6:7–8; 10:29; Luke 12:6; 14:5; 22:42; 1 Peter 5:7). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
- Rituale Romanum, typical Vatican edition approved by Pius XI, 10 June 1925, Appendix: “Benedictio equorum aliorumve animalium,” “Benedictio animalium gravi infirmitate laborantium” and “Alia benedictio animalium gravi infirmitate laborantium” (pp. 362–363 of the Laudate Dominum reprint). https://www.liturgia.it/content/ritrom.pdf
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997. Paragraphs 2415–2418. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P8B.HTM
- Butler, Cuthbert. “St. Anthony.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01553d.htm
- Cleary, G. “St. Roch.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13100c.htm
- Jacobus de Voragine. The Golden Legend, translated by William Caxton, vol. 5, “The Life of S. Rocke.” Internet Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume5.asp
- “Saint Roch.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Roch ; “San Rocco.” Wikipedia (Italian). https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Rocco
- Robinson, Paschal. “St. Francis of Assisi.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
- John Paul II. Message for the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1990, “Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation,” section 16. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19891208_xxiii-world-day-for-peace.html
- “Модест.” Православная энциклопедия (Orthodox Encyclopedia), vol. 46. Moscow: Church Research Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia.” https://www.pravenc.ru/text/2563916.html
