The race is now on to develop a vaccine to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Developing a new vaccine is not without risk and so it is imperative that researchers use robust scientific methods in order to avoid some of the mistakes of the past. An important step in the
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Prayer Link – Wednesday at 9.30 PM
FOR SPEECHLESS THINGS We meet O God, within this place To supplicate Thee of Thy grace To hear our prayers for speechless things That move on fins and legs and wings Our co-inhabitants on earth Who owe, as we, to Thee their birth. We prayer for just and humane laws
On Laboratory Animal Day Let’s Switch to 21st Century Technologies
According to Dr Andre Menache, Covid-19 offers us a golden opportunity to get rid of the ‘animal model’, a concept that belongs to the 20th century, and to focus our efforts on the species in question, namely humans. He says that rather than experimenting with ferrets, monkeys or mice, it
Climate Change and the Threat to Creation by Fr Augusto Zampini Davies
Father Augusto Zampini Davies, theological adviser to CAFOD, reflects upon how Catholics might respond to climate change and the threat to creation. For Catholics, having a compassionate and loving attitude towards those in need is crucial for our truly human development and faith (cf. Lk 10:26-27; Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18).
How Veganism is Compatible with my Catholic Faith by T. Smith
As a Catholic, I am called upon to live a life which is pleasing to God and proactively exemplifies the teachings of Jesus in my interactions with others. For me, this means showing love and compassion for all living beings through a vegan lifestyle. My heart has always recognized the
Looking Beneath the Surface: Fish Welfare in European Aquaculture by Douglas Waley
Fish represent over 60% of all known vertebrate species on Earth. As many animals inhabit aquatic environments, it should be noted that throughout this report ‘fish’ refers to vertebrate finfish. This large group captures the bony fish (a group which comprises the vast majority of species, including familiar fish such
Corona Virus and Animal Testing – by Dr Andre Menache
The Coronavirus pandemic called COVID-19 is an important opportunity to reassess the way we do medical research. Faced with this viral tsunami, scientists have not had time to find one or more animal species to serve as a ‘model’ to study this disease in the laboratory. In the case of
A Meditation for Holy Week and Easter – Part 2 Easter by Fr Martin Henig
All of what I have written in the first part of a double homily designed for the bleakness of Good Friday, and what I might have spoken at a planned Compline, is true. In many, many ways, as a species, we have brought what has happened on ourselves, by our
A Meditation for Holy Week and Easter by Fr Martin Henig
This is a strange time, a strange week, and it will continue to be strange for long afterwards. For some it will mark the end of life; for many it will bring suffering to those seriously affected by illness, for the bereaved, for those who find their livelihoods threatened. The
Covid-19 – When Will We Heed Nature’s Warnings?
Barbara Gardner is the Chief Executive of the Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA) which publishes the magazine ‘Animal Spirit’. Barbara wrote this article in the spring 2020 edition of Animal Spirit, asking why the lessons of past pandemics, which all derived from animal abuse, have not been learned. Covid-19 is not