The Problem of the Pastor’s Dog
GUEST COLUMN
An owner treats his dog like family. Both live together in a bond of great intimacy and affection.
Priestly dog ownership raises a trifling but ticklish question: Should a pastor house his dog in the rectory? Moral theologian Francis J. Connell, C.SS.R., replies with an equivocal “yes and no.”
Neither divine law nor the general law of the Church forbids a priest from owning a domesticated carnivorous canine. The propriety of using the rectory as a dog house is, however, an arguable point.
Bishops rarely lay down rules regarding a priest’s in-house pets. On this topic, Canon Law is silent. Holy Writ mentions the dog over 40 times, but mostly in terms of contempt and aversion — e.g., “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly” (Prov. 26:11) and “Do not give dogs what is holy” (Mt. 7:16).
You May Also Enjoy
Too Much of a Good Thing?... Do They Know Their Scripture?... Bypassing Empty Slogans... Time Out of Mind... Staying in Touch... and more
Though it is debatable how successful Catholics have been in their fight for equality in Northern Ireland, no one can claim that they were defeated.
Jacobitism was a real threat to Protestant Ascendancy, and Irish bards kept alive the fervent hope for an imminent rescue from Europe.