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Why do churches bless pets?
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A priest in white vestments sprinkles holy water to bless a small dog held by a woman in a pink sling, surrounded by people outside a church in Mexico City. A priest in white and gold robes blesses a ginger cat perched on a person's shoulder during the San Anton animal blessing at a church in Madrid.
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A priest in white vestments sprinkles holy water to bless a small dog held by a woman in a pink sling, surrounded by people outside a church in Mexico City.
Pet blessing in Mexico City A priest blessing a dog with holy water during the annual “Blessing of the Animals” to celebrate the feast day of St. Anthony of Egypt (also called St. Anthony Abbot) on January 17, 2025, at the Cathedral of San Bernardino de Siena in Mexico City.

Why do churches bless pets?

Written by
René Ostberg
René Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
René Ostberg
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

Every October many churches—especially Roman Catholic parishes—host a ceremony for blessing pets. The event is usually held on or about October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a patron saint of animals and ecology. Francis, who lived during the late 12th and early 13th centuries, considered all nature to be the mirror of God and called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters.” He famously preached to the birds and persuaded a wolf to stop attacking the...

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