Tiranny or Fraternity

Cohabitants of the same common home, brothers in existence in the adventure of life, co-participants in the immense and interdependent community of earthly life, animals stand side by side with humans before the eyes of the Creator. Fragile and simultaneously independent, while carrying with them everything they need for survival, they are absolutely vulnerable to growing human, manipulative and destructive power.

And what have we done with this power? For some, who still remain in the wild, we invade their territories, betray their trust with traps and hunting, and take away their conditions of survival through the deterioration of the environment in which they live. Others, kidnapped and expropriated of their freedom, we enslave, torture and kill in endless processes of unfathomable suffering. Considered as "products" or "things" in our society: they suffer in circuses, zoos, rodeos, carts, slaughterhouses, farms, fur industries, research and education institutes, and in many other instances and places that we can barely imagine.

Given this, it is necessary to expand theological categories from an inclusive perspective, considering animals as an oppressed face within liberation theology. Finding themselves in a situation of oppression and captivity, animals cry for liberation while perpetuating the pain of Christ, who suffers with all creatures. Their piercing moans shame us for being the very cause of their suffering. Every day, Christ continues to be crucified in our smallest brothers by our own hands, He who identified himself with the little ones.

Within this horizon, this book, in dialogue with important authors, seeks to contribute to the construction of a theology of animal liberation, freely following the see-judge-act method. With this, we hope, by taking up the cause of Christ, to bring the reality of a world of peace, justice and fraternity for all a little closer.

Dettagli