Might Dogs Be in Heaven?
I took my brother’s dog, Rocco, out for a glorious hike recently. He’s a golden retriever, raised in my brother’s home from his first days as a puppy, born just over two years ago on the feast of Saint Roch (August 16th) who is, providentially, the patron saint of dogs. Rocco’s a good dog, obedient, faithful, gentle with children, full of what seems like joy, and always appreciative of affection. He’s part of the family.
Even though he’s still in his salad days, dogs only live for just over a decade (for reasons we don’t fully understand – in fact, animal life spans, including our own, are still a question of some debate). We will miss him when he’s gone, presuming we all live to that ten-year-plus mark.
A question was raised in class the other day – by a priest who just happened to wander in – what happens to dogs when they die, ensuing from the death of the priest’s sister’s beloved dog. Will our canine companions join us in heaven?
A discussion ensued, and I said I might write a reflection on this dubium. So, here are some thoughts, for what they’re worth:
Dogs have souls, but not ‘spiritual’ souls that have an act and a corresponding nature that transcend the body. Hence, unlike ours, dog souls cannot continue to exist without the body.
Until the end of time, heaven is more of a ‘state’ than a ‘place’, for there are, as far as we know, only a select number of bodies there – Our Lady, Our Lord, and perhaps Saint Joseph, Enoch, and a few others – so it’s mainly populated by souls without bodies, for the return of which they pray, awaiting the resurrection, and the new heavens and earth.
It is on that last note there is some hope for dogs, insofar as they can have hope, at least of a natural, sensitive sort. For God, in His omnipotence, could re-create dogs in that world that will never end, and maintain them in existence. I like to think there would be a myriad of animals surrounding us humans – like the garden of Eden, only a whole lot better.
There are two caveats, however:
Dogs, and other animals, do not have an intellect, and hence cannot see the beatific vision. Their experience of the ‘new earth’, where God’s glory shines undimmed, would, to them, be like this earth. They would not be beatified, only resurrected, in a way. What it would be like for a dog to live forever is, of course, opaque to us, and they certainly would not be aware of the gift of immortality. It may even, eventually, be a suffering for them.
We ourselves would have no strict need for dogs, and how they might increase our happiness in heaven is dubious. God would provide all of our needs and desires, the ‘fullness of joy’ in His presence. In fact, Saint Thomas goes so far as to say that we won’t even need friends in heaven – Solo Dios basta – God alone suffices, as Saint Teresa of Avila wrote. Friends will only help with our happiness in a certain limited respect.
As Thomas puts it:
But the fellowship of friends conduces to the well-being of Happiness. Hence Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. viii, 25) that “the spiritual creatures receive no other interior aid to happiness than the eternity, truth, and charity of the Creator. But if they can be said to be helped from without, perhaps it is only by this that they see one another and rejoice in God, at their fellowship. (ST, I-II., q.4, a.8, resp.)
That is, friends will rejoice in the fullness of each other’s happiness, and, perhaps, just maybe, as Man’s best friend in this vale of tears, where other friends so often let us down, dogs may have some small share in that. Then again, they fulfil that noble role well enough here on earth.
And in that, we may all rejoice.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→