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Do dogs have souls?
YES: 'Reincarnated' dog baffles rabbis in Jerusalem NO: Church expels priest over dog's funeral in Malta

JERUSALEM (Israel)
Sep 18, 2006

In Mea She'arim, West Jerusalem, rabbis and hundreds of witnesses are convinced that a mysterious stray mutt is the reincarnated soul of a man.

Ynet News reports that a white dog showed up on the doorstep of recently deceased Rabbi Nahman David Dovinski on the night of his funeral, Sep. 16. The pooch wouldn't budge.

"Dovinski’s family took the dog out of the neighborhood," Ynet states, "but it insisted and returned again to the same house. From the early hours of the morning, endless attempts were made to expel the dog, but the dog refused to leave the house." ¹

A neighborhood rabbi instructed that the pooch be served a Shabbat meal. Reportedly, only after the rabbi told the dog, "You are forgiven, you are forgiven, you are forgiven," did the he agree to eat the food.

Amazed and perplexed, residents decided to call the senior rabbi, Rabbi Meir Brandsdorfer. At 5am on Sunday, Sep. 17, Rabbi Brandsdorfer led the congregation to the Mount of Olives to perform a "redemption ceremony".

The Dovinski family said the dog willingly left at that time. Jerusalem municipality’s veterinary services arrived and picked up the dog while hundreds of residents from Mea She'arim and surrounding neighborhoods paid tribute.


	HEY BOY, LET'S GO FOR A KARMA RIDE Hundreds gathered to escort the "reincarnated" dog out of the neighborhood. It was not mentioned where they took him. "Spay/neuter program? Oy gevalt! Will a circumcision suffice?" (Photos: Reuben / Ynet)


MALTA—Last week, the Archdiocese of Malta circulated a press release stating that Father Vincent Sciortino, a Roman Catholic priest, had been expelled for conducting a funeral service for his dog. Fr. Sciortino had fuelled a controversy by encouraging Roman Catholics to believe that animals have souls and go to heaven. He added that the Archdiocese should invite the Catholic faithful to bring their domestic animals to church. Fr. Sciortino's stance echoes the sentiments of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), patron saint of animals; however, the Archdiocese cited a 2003 decree which forbids such thinking, and Fr. Sciortino was summarily removed from all public duties. It should be noted that the Archdiocese of Malta does not speak for the Roman Catholic Church as a whole. Many Catholic churches honor animals, and every year on Oct. 4th (St. Francis Day), animals are invited for blessings. At New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, not just dogs & cats were invited but also a camel, elephant, turtle and a pig.

Sources:
¹ "Reincarnated dog begs forgiveness." Ynet News. 18 Sep 2006.
Cachia, Paul. "Church expels priest who conducted a funeral service for his dog." Di-ve News. 15 Sep 2006.

YES: 'Reincarnated' dog baffles rabbis in Jerusalem NO: Church expels priest over dog's funeral in Malta

YES: 'Reincarnated' dog baffles rabbis in Jerusalem
NO: Church expels priest over dog's funeral in Malta