Pope Francis Responds to Million Dollar Vegan Campaign

in #vegan5 years ago (edited)

Hi friends!

In an interesting turn of events, Pope Francis has finally responded with a letter to Genesis Butler as Lent begins today.


Genesis Butler. Photo courtesy: Million Dollar Vegan

If you remember, Genesis Butler is a 12 year old climate-change activist who had written a letter to Pope Francis with a plea to go vegan for Lent. Last month, this letter was published by national newspapers of about 15 different countries including The New York Times and The Guardian.

Under Million Dollar Vegan campaign, Genesis had declared that Los Angeles based Blue Horizon International Foundation will donate 1 million dollar to a charity or charities of Pope's choice as a gesture of gratitude for Pope's commitment.

Frankly, I wasn't expecting any response from Pope and I consider conditional offers like these as some bribe to a spiritual leader and thus inappropriate in itself. But some of my friends convinced me that this is what is practical in these days. So I was eager to see its outcome and whether this methodology can be replicated to apply to other religious faith too.

Here is the exact wordings from the letter by Pope Francis to Genesis Butler (signed by senior priest and Assessor for General Affairs, Paolo Borgia):

His Holiness Pope Francis has received your letter, and he has asked me to thank you. He appreciates the concerns about care for the world, our common home, which prompted you to write to him.

The Holy Father will remember you in his prayers, and he sends you his blessing.

Although His Holiness Pope Francis hasn't confirmed to go vegan this Lent; I admire his gesture to acknowledge the issue and respond with a letter.

Genesis has not given hope yet. She has delivered another video message for Pope where she invites Pope to share a vegan dinner with her. If given an opportunity, Genesis wants to discuss about the important issue of protecting our planet through a change in diet.

In yet another development, today was the official world premiere of a vegan documentary titled "A Prayer for Compassion" in New York. This film too had partnered with Million Dollar Campaign and has some message for Pope in it.

I'm glad that I had also played a small part in this film. I did receive an invite to this event last month from the film director. However I haven't seen the film yet. But I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. 😊

Ciao!

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climate change with diet change: so if we eat more cows = less green house gas emissions!

True, cattle farming is responsible for the most methane production. But if you eat more, more calves and cows will be needed to be farmed and produce whereas if we reduce or stop consuming cows, we'll not need to farm them and artificially inseminate them to hike their population.
Thus if we do not eat cows = reduced greenhouse emissions.

someone is gunna get eaten. cow out more sheep then? i prefer lamb over beef anyway. not goat

Of course, it's a given that someone is gonna get eaten. But according to the stance of veganism, that someone need not be any sentient being. Our food can very well be derived directly from plants.

It may be a little difficult to imagine for people who grew up in predominantly meat -eating societies. But for me, it's easier to live on plants as my society is accustomed to it for thousands of years.

However I appreciate the commitment and understanding of ever increasing number of people from meat-eating culture who are turning vegan yhese days.

Yeah i'm not anti vegan just anti some vegans attitude lol. i agree i need to eat more veg less meat /no meat? We grew up slaughtering our own livestock not that we do now and i haven't got an issue with most of it. What my young children choose to do will be up to them at the right time. Wow it's hard for me to imagine not eating meat. Your society has for thousands of years maybe it might take us a 100 - 1000 to all convert if we ever do. i got no clue regarding the subject.

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