# Pope says all animals go to Heaven **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785 "2014-12-09T19:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/1 "2014-12-09T19:41:26Z")
[According to Pope Francis, all animals are God’s creatures and will go to Heaven.](https://www.thedodo.com/animals-go-to-heaven-says-pope-866342824.html) I wonder if this includes _all_ animals, including cockroaches? Will all the natural predatory animals be turned into vegetarians? Will sloths, who do little except scrounge for food and hide from predators, just come to a complete standstill for eternity? When cats find out that they do not in fact rule the universe will they just make a mass exodus to Hell? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/2 "2014-12-09T20:02:43Z")
Psst- hate to break it to you all cold like this but… God is a CAT! It’s the dogs that are going to Hell… ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/3 "2014-12-09T20:09:14Z")
Where was this pope when I was a good little Catholic? No one needs to eat in heaven, so no need to worry about the predator/prey relationships and all icky animals turn kawaii. You won’t believe how adorable the cockroaches are in heaven. Interestingly, an image search for a kawaii cockroach turns up nothing really cute. I think we just can’t fathom the cuteness of a heavenly cockroach here on earth. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/4 "2014-12-09T20:12:03Z")
Surely His Holiness is mistaken about roaches and snakes. Was he sitting on the Papal Throne at the time? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/5 "2014-12-09T20:13:24Z")
Humans are animals. Does that mean that everyone’s going to heaven, even us heathens? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/6 "2014-12-09T20:19:30Z")
Quote from article: “The Holy Scriptures teach us that the realization of this wonderful plan covers all that is around us, and that came out of the thought and the heart of God,” Pope Francis said, as quoted by Italian news site Resapubblica. The Pope then went on to say that “heaven is open to all creatures, and there [they] will be vested with the joy and love of God, without limits.” That’s a little different from the headline. I do not know about the quality of the translation from Italian. I had always understood that dogs go to dog-heaven, cockroaches go to cockroach heaven, etc. In dog heaven, they play frisbee with T-Bone steaks. There are no roach motels in cockroach heaven. I’m not sure what lion and tiger heaven is like, but presumably it involves lots of sleep. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/7 "2014-12-09T20:25:34Z")
Wow, **Czarcasm** , this is your best religious _ **Gotcha!** _ yet. Would that the Sadducees have posed your stumpers to Jesus instead of that crap about one bride for seven brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/8 "2014-12-09T20:30:48Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Wow, **Czarcasm** , this is your best religious _ **Gotcha!** _ yet. Would that the Sadducees have posed your stumpers to Jesus instead of that crap about one bride for seven brothers. Overreact much? I just found it mildly amusing to think about what animals would do in Heaven. Notice that I posted this in MPSIMS, not Great Debates? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/9 "2014-12-09T20:38:54Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > I’m not sure what lion and tiger heaven is like, but presumably it involves lots of sleep. I’ve heard that lying down with lambs was the prime pastime. Oh, I thought you wrote _sheep._ Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/10 "2014-12-09T21:19:58Z")
When cats die they do not go to hell they simply return home 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/11 "2014-12-09T21:29:51Z")
Does this give credence to the [Rainbow Bridge](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_%28pets%29)? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/12 "2014-12-09T21:33:12Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > Humans are animals. Does that mean that everyone’s going to heaven, even us heathens? 😃 Yes, but that has jack all to do with this statement. That everybody, no matter their religion, can get into Heaven has been Catholic doctrine for ages, and Francis reiterated it not too long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/13 "2014-12-09T22:08:53Z")
I have that Burt Reynolds movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/14 "2014-12-09T22:56:54Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Yes, but that has jack all to do with this statement. > > That everybody, no matter their religion, can get into Heaven has been Catholic doctrine for ages, and Francis reiterated it not too long ago. I think they preach that BELIEVERS go to heaven. Right? Not non-Christians, and atheists. If everyone’s going to heaven automatically then why would anyone make any special efforts where religion is concerned? ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/15 "2014-12-09T23:12:23Z")
I just can’t help but like this guy. I think he’s the best we could have realistically hoped for. Obviously I don’t agree with all his viewpoints, but he seems to be moving the church in a better direction. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/16 "2014-12-09T23:15:41Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > I had always understood that dogs go to dog-heaven, cockroaches go to cockroach heaven, etc. In dog heaven, they play frisbee with T-Bone steaks. And there are plenty of toilets to drink out of. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Recusant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/17 "2014-12-09T23:19:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Does this give credence to the [Rainbow Bridge](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_%28pets%29)? Funny story about that- several years ago, a friend’s cat sickened and died, and when they got the body back, there was also a card that said “Waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge”. We were totally baffled, since to us, ‘Rainbow Bridge’ meant Bifrost, and the cat had died of age and sickness. Unable to riddle it out and half suspecting he was being mocked, we ended up going back to the vet to get an answer. Looking back, I’ve often wondered whether that visit was more confusing for us or the poor vet’s office employee, who knew nothing about Norse mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/18 "2014-12-09T23:22:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When cats find out that they do not in fact rule the universe will they just make a mass exodus to Hell? Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/19 "2014-12-10T00:12:49Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > There are no roach motels in cockroach heaven. They do have motels, but with swimming pools and cable. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785/20 "2014-12-10T00:16:06Z")
I guess I’ll get kicked out when I step on the spiders. Cause they are never going to be cute. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-says-all-animals-go-to-heaven/706785.md?page=2)