Pope Proclaims Animals Welcome in Heaven

All dogs do go to heaven, according Pope Francis. During a recent appearance in St. Peter’s Square, the pope comforted a boy mourning the death of his dog and said, “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.” The pontiff, who took his papal name from St. Francis Assisi, patron saint of animals, sparks new debate over whether animals have a place in the afterlife. Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, has previously said animals are “not called to the eternal life,” but it remains unclear what Francis meant by his remarks.