I am an ordained priest of the United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant denomination in Canada. For thirty years, I have been Professor of the Humanities at Confederation College, teaching European civilization to about 1,000 adult students each year, and I am the Director of a touring company which since 1976 has been leading hundreds of adult student to Paris, the Loire Valley, and Provence.

With all respect, Reverend Sir, I wish you to know how appalled, disillusioned, and angered I am at the fact that your district in France permits the cruel and sadistic torture of animals in the name of entertainment. It is an entertainment worthy only of barbarians; it causes helpless animals incredible suffering; it promotes a sadistic "hardness of heart" among the spectators. It is the antithesis of civilisation.

Since you are a hugh-ranking cleric, I believe that deep within your own conscience you must be aware that the torture of helpless animals is wrong.
Our Lord had much to say about love, gentleness, mercy -- and He made it clear that the creatures of nature, even tiny sparrows, have their place in God's world. Albert Schweitzer writes, "Persons are truly ethical only when they obey the compulsion to help all life which they are able to assist and shrink from injuring anything that lives."

Millions of Canadians and Americans are truly revolted by bull-fighting: this is no sport -- it a a cruel slaughter. We cannot understand why a civilized nation like France permits this barbarism which was imported from Spain and is foreign to the ideals of France. (Indeed, when I discovered at Arles in 2003 that bull-fighting was permitted in Provence, I cancelled all future tours to Provence.)

You someday will die and will face your Eternal Judge. You will be asked to explain why you permitted sadism to flourish in your diocese -- and what will you say? Meanwhile, how can you bear to know that wounded animals are being slowly tortured to death, right under your nose?
Yours very respectfully,

The Rev. Hugh R. L. MacDonald
Director, MacDonald Tours of Canada
Professor of the Humanities, Confederation College
Minister, The United Church of Canada