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Do All Dogs Go To Heaven? Christians React To Pope's Comment

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At a public appearance on St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis reportedly said "paradise is open to all God's creatures."

It was apparently an attempt to cheer up a child whose dog had died. But he also, according to Italian media, cited passages of the Bible that refer to animals going to heaven. This provoked quite a reaction across the Christian world.

Christine Gutleben, senior director of faith outreach at the Humane Society of the United States, discusses the pope's comments and whether they could have an impact outside religion on animal rights or protections.

Correction note 12/16/14: The New York Times has retracted portions of its story on the pope's comments, saying it "misstated the pope’s recent remarks and the circumstances in which they were made." The Times now reports the pope did not say the quote above, rather that he said to a general audience, “The Holy Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us.”

Guest

  • Christine Gutleben, senior director of faith outreach at the Humane Society of the United States.

This segment aired on December 12, 2014.

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