For Immediate Release:
March 31, 2022
Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
Norfolk, Va. â Because Catholics often opt to eat fish on Good Fridayâwhich is on April 15 this yearâPETAâs Christian outreach division, LAMBS (âLeast Among My Brothers and Sistersâ from Matthew 25:50), has sent a proposition of nonviolence to cardinals who lead U.S. archdioceses. PETA asks them to encourage their congregations to abstain from eating any animals during Lent and celebrate a vegan Good Fridayâor Good Vridayâby choosing foods that are kind to all animals, including those who swim. LAMBS offers easy vegan recipes for Lent on its website, a free vegan starter kit containing tips, and other resources.
âIn the eyes of God, every individual deserves to live free from harm, yet fish used for food suffer greatly as theyâre violently killed,â says PETA Vice President Christina Matthies. âPETA is calling on these faith leaders to inspire their flocks to embrace Good Vriday by going vegan on that day at least.â
Animals are not mentioned in Genesis 1:29, which states that God provides âevery seed-bearing plantâ and âevery tree whose fruit contains seedâ as food for humans. Fish are intelligent and sensitive beings who experience pain, think, and deserve life. They share knowledge, have cultural traditions, and communicate with one another using low-frequency sounds that human ears canât hear. Some woo potential partners by singing to them or creating intricate works of art. Despite all this, more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. Theyâre impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and guttedâoften while theyâre still conscious. In addition, 38 million tons of other aquatic animals are unintentionally caught each year to satisfy humansâ demand for seafood.
Recipients of the letter include Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston; Cardinal SeĂĄn Patrick OâMalley, archbishop of Boston; Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, D.C.; and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark. PETA Germany and PETA U.K. have also sent letters to German and Irish Catholic Church leaders, respectively.
Source: Peta.org