Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Cruelty, Animal Behaviour, Religious Authority, Morality, Ethics

    Discusses the response by the 'Censor at Rome' to 'a little book entitled A Short Catechism on Humanity to Animals', which suggests that he denies that cruelty to animals is contrary to Christianity and that compassion towards beasts is a rule 'interpreted according to private caprice if it is understood to mean that one ought to be compassionate towards the beasts on order to be a good Christian'. Punch questions the morality of his position and suggests that Pope Pius IX should dismiss him.