ALL DOGS DON’T GO TO HEAVEN
Atheists in furry fury
Don’t push your dogma on these pets!
A group of atheists is suing a New Jersey animal shelter because it used a Catholic priest to “bless” cats and dogs.
Last month, the Bergen County Animal Shelter enlisted a Roman Catholic priest in a ceremony for the furry sinners, according to a federal lawsuit f iled in Newark by the group American Atheists on Nov. 13.
The priest — who wore a large cross around his neck and a hooded cassock — performed the ritual in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
The problem, according to the suit, is that the Teterboro-based shelter receives government cash and shouldn’t mix church and state, according to American Atheists, which claims the blessing, therefore, was a violation of the First and 14th amendments.
The fur began to fly when Candice Yaacobi, a New Jersey atheist who has used the shelter, learned about the annual Oct. 4 blessing on Facebook, according to the suit.
The Facebook page proclaimed, “Tuesday afternoon was a special day for all of us, including our adoptable pets. We were graced by Reverend Kenneth Riehl from the Franciscan Order of the Divine Mercy in North Arlington for the blessing of the animals.” The post featured photos, adding, “It was a very moving and memorable moment that touched us all.” The blessing irked Yaacobi, who did more research and learned the shelter is supported by funds from the state Department of Health Services, according to the lawsuit. “BCAS is supported by state funds, which it utilizes in order to administer governmental services to residents of Bergen County,” the lawsuit notes. It adds that the Rev. Riehl “dresses in the traditional vestments of his order, including a brown, hooded cassock, a large cross on a chain around his neck, a rosary around his wrist and a white stole draped over his shoulders.” The shelter didn’t immediately return a request for com-