--- description: Pope Francis promises young boy that dogs can go to heaven too title: Pope Francis: Dogs Can Go to Heaven image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blted92e097fc8ea17f/69876e623c1639e1324509ac/pope-francis.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [faith](/tag/faith/) ## faith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Pope Francis Says There’s a Place for Pets in Paradise ## Video: Know Right Now: From California's Pineapple Express to Another Shutdown Drama [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: From California's Pineapple Express to Another Shutdown Drama](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yKgf4s2K.m3u8) (1:19)  _Published 2014-12-12. Watch this week's #KnowRightNow to catch up on the latest top stories_ by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 12, 2014 5:37 AM CUT  Pope Francis leads his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Dec. 10, 2014 Pope Francis leads his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Dec. 10, 2014Stefano Rellandini—Reuters by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 12, 2014 5:37 AM CUT Pope Francis [confirmed](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/europe/dogs-in-heaven-pope-leaves-pearly-gate-open-.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&%5Fr=2&referrer= "undefined") during his weekly address in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square that canines, along with “all of God’s creatures,” can make it to heaven. The leader of the Catholic Church made the remark in order to comfort a young boy who was mourning the death of his dog, according to the New York _Times_. “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures,” said the 77-year-old Pontiff, according to Italian news sources. Pope Francis has been cast as a much more liberal figure compared with his predecessors. Since ascending to the church’s helm last year, he has attempted to engage with homosexuals and unwed couples and backed the Big Bang Theory. \[[_NYT_](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/europe/dogs-in-heaven-pope-leaves-pearly-gate-open-.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&%5Fr=2&referrer= "undefined")\] **Correction**: The original version of this story misattributed a quotation from Pope Paul VI, who died in 1978, to Pope Francis. It was Pope Paul VI who said, “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ.” The original version of this story misinterpreted comments made by Francis who said in recent remarks, according to Vatican Radio, “The Holy Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us.” This quotation was interpreted in press accounts to mean that the Pope believes all animals go to heaven. A Vatican spokesman told Reuters on Dec. 13 that this was not the Pope’s intended message. _Read next:_ [_The Pope Just Received a Fly Pair of Custom Diesel Sweatpants_](http://time.com/3612467/pope-diesel-jogg-jeans/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/"},"headline":"Pope Francis Says There’s a Place for Pets in Paradise","datePublished":"2014-12-12T05:37:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:48:14.494Z","description":"The head of the Catholic Church promises that some dogs, at least, do go to heaven","url":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/","keywords":["faith","Dogs","Pope Francis topic","Catholic Church","Italy","New York Times"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blted92e097fc8ea17f/69876e623c1639e1324509ac/pope-francis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Stout","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/david-stout/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blted92e097fc8ea17f/69876e623c1639e1324509ac/pope-francis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pope Francis leads his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican","caption":"Pope Francis leads his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican","creditText":"Stefano Rellandini—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/faith/","name":"faith"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/","name":"Pope Francis Says There’s a Place for Pets in Paradise"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: From California's Pineapple Express to Another Shutdown Drama","description":"Watch this week's #KnowRightNow to catch up on the latest top stories","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/yKgf4s2K/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-12-12T16:19:07.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yKgf4s2K.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/","duration":"PT1M19S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```