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My personal experience with ethnic Greeks is that they REALLY DISLIKE dogs and cats, esp. in the house. My Grandfather from the Ukraine grew up on a farm and liked animals, but didn't like them in the house. And I've personally known Orthodox Bishops who have had a cat in their homes. These kinds of views are "personal", not "Orthodox". Snake-catching cats, seeing-eye dogs, companion animals - they all have their jobs and they are all gifts from God. God can act in our lives through their presence because it was He who sent them. Don't let his opinion turn you off from the Orthodox Church.

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I am coming into the Greek Orthodox Church after 40+ years in schismatic church and the Great Grandson of a Kansas farmer. My 25 yr old sponsor views animals as "tools" without souls which God has provided for our "use" and is 1st generation Greek. Very Greek! He wants me to "get rid" of my animals (Manx cats) and discontinue living with them. While his view point has not -- yet -- backed me off from Orthodoxie, my firm belief in God and His Creation both now and in the future will continue to include all things great and small. Outside of Orthodoxie we have St. Francis of Assisi. Recently we visited St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence Arizona. To my delight, what should I find but cats. We were told they were there to catch desert snakes. Comments?

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What a wonderful website! My wife and I are English residents of Crete and converted to Orthodoxy 7 years ago. It's great to see that Orthodox theology backs up our own feelings about animals (or should that be the other way round?)although you might not believe it if you visit Greece! If you ever consider collaborating on a book (your knowledge plus my writing experience) I'd be very interested. (Just read terms and conditions and am not sure if above counts as 'solicitation'. Oh well.) Have a good Lent Chris and Eleni Moorey

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I am an Orthodox priest. God Bless you for your work, it helps me as I just lost my Lab. Sally, a great companion. I lived just blocks away from the Brookfield Zoo.

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Being Orthodox my whole life and just putting to sleep on Monday our beloved cat "Snuggles" has truly placed me in a mourning state for Great Lent. My children have been weeping non stop and all week I have been carrying a dull ache in my heart. Looking for some words on what Orthodoxy has to say about mourning the loss of a pet....I came across your website which btw is the only Orthodox site that I have come across that references that loss. Thank you for your site. It has been like a salve for some very wounded hearts. Snuggles was a cherished and much loved pet.

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Thank you so much for still having this website available. Right now my dear friend Xenia is heartbroken(she works for an organization, Forgotten Felines, that rescues, spays/neuters and returns feral cats to their communities)and recently some of her kittens were set on fire in their traps. She wanted to know if it's okay to ask for prayers for animals, and thank God for your resources that I am directing her to. Blessings to you. Eleni

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Thank you so much for still having this website available. Right now my dear friend Xenia is heartbroken(she works for an organization, Forgotten Felines, that rescues, spays/neuters and returns feral cats to their communities)and recently some of her kittens were set on fire in their traps. She wanted to know if it's okay to ask for prayers for animals, and thank God for your resources that I am directing her to. Blessings to you. Eleni