HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 63 
empathy with other living creatures than by anything that it can do 
of a military nature. 
Mr. Roberts. Thank you very much for your statement. We ap- 
preciate your appearance. 
Any questions ? 
I promised I would call the president of the National Catholic So- 
ciety of Animal Welfare in time so that he can make a plane schedule, 
so if the Right Reverend Monsignor will come around, we will be 
glad to hear from him. 
STATEMENT 0 E THE EIGHT REVEREND MONSIGNOR LeRQY E. 
McWilliams, president oe the national catholic society 
EOR ANIMAL WELFARE 
Monsignor McWilliams. Mr. Chairman and members of the com- 
mittee, I am here today to defend the defenseless and to raise my voice 
on behalf of animals to bring out that in our dealings with them, 
morals are very definitely involved. 
The first book of the Bible tells us God created the animals and the 
birds. And so they have the same Father as we do. In other words, 
God’s Fatherhood extends also to our “lesser brethren.” In their own 
way they bear witness to God and give glory to Him. They are a 
perpetual reminder of the wisdom, power, and providence of God, to 
be approached and used with friendliness and understanding. 
Pope Pius XII of happy memory, in 1950 in a remarkable state- 
ment said : 
The animal world, as all creation, is a manifestation of God’s power, His 
wisdom, and His goodness and as such deserves man’s respect and consideration. 
Any reckless desire to kill off animals, all unnecessary harshness and callous 
cruelty toward them, are to be condemned. 
Pope Pius X said : 
Many of the great saints were conspicuous for their gentleness and kindness 
toward animals and the spirit of the church has always shown itself strongly in 
that sense. 
To these outstanding names can be added many other Popes, cardi- 
nals and princes of the church who continually point out that we must 
care for animals and spare them unnecessary suffering. 
Archbishop Ryan, formerly of Philadelphia, and Cardinal Gibbons 
of Baltimore are among those to whom I refer. 
Going back to first principles, all animals belong to God. He alone 
is their absolute owner. He has lent them only to us to be used as He 
himself would use them. In a word, in our relations with them we 
must imitate the divine attributes, the highest of which is mercy. 
Our dominion, then, over animals is limited and the limit is their 
own living and sensitive nature. We cannot do with them what we 
will. In sharing God’s dominion we have responsibilities as well as 
privileges. That is why St. Thomas, the great doctor and theologian, 
warns about the proper use of animals lest they appear at the final 
judgment to testify against us. That is why in “Dives et Pauper” 
(“The Rich Man and the Poor Man”), a treatise written in the 15th 
century on the Ten Commandments, it is stated : 
For God that made all, hath care of all, and He will take vengeance on all that 
misuse His creatures. 
