VATICAN CITY -- Two activists from animal rights group PETA interrupted Pope Francis鈥� general audience on Wednesday, shouting and holding up banners against bullfighting before being escorted out of Paul VI Hall.
The two were wearing t-shirts reading 鈥淪top blessing corridas鈥� and holding banners saying 鈥淏ullfighting is a sin.鈥� PETA has been pleading with the Pope to cut the Catholic Church鈥檚 ties with bullfighting and condemn the 鈥渄espicable blood sport.鈥�
According to the organization, each year, tens of thousands of bulls are killed in bullfighting festivals globally, many dedicated to Catholic saints. In these events, mounted assailants thrust lances and banderillas into the bull, causing acute pain and restricting its movement.
鈥淎s numerous countries are wisely banning this sick form of 鈥榚ntertainment.鈥� Pope Francis must immediately denounce this blood sport and cut the Catholic Church鈥檚 shameful ties with bullfighting,鈥� it said in a recent statement on its website.
The Vatican didn't immediately comment on Wednesday's protest.
British priest Terry Martin has recently criticized bullfighting in a campaign with PETA and called on Pope Francis to condemn it.
The priest from West Sussex, U.K., posed in a red chasuble next to a bull with the inscription: 鈥淚t is a sin to torture animals.鈥�
PETA has pointed out that Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical Laudato Si鈥� that 鈥渁ny act of cruelty to any creature is 鈥榗ontrary to human dignity鈥� and that, as early as the 16th century, Pope St. Pius V banned bullfights that were deemed 鈥榗ruel鈥� and 鈥榝ar removed from Christian piety and charity.鈥欌��
