When I asked the Priest during a very unique (only happened once during my school daze) "ask the Priest day' My question was...will my kitty be in heaven when I get there. His answer was NO. That was the day I became an atheist! I was about 9 or 10...but believe me I became an atheist. I wanted no part of heaven that did not include MY pet cat...screw heaven!

I have since seen Catholic churches that have pet blessing days...had I known about it then, I might still be a Catholic?

You know I have never asked that question. I assumed that heaven is a place of wonder where every soul loves me and I love them (including my dogs past/present).

And I saw myself sitting next to Jesus, being in awe...but without my kitty, it was just boring!

My computer (internet connection) seems to burp a lot and stuff I type just ain't there

I too was born Catholic, raised Catholic, attended Catholic school, and was taught that the Priest is ALWAYS right, and should be listened to, and obeyed without question. As I grew older I came to realize that the Priest was not always right, the Church had some positions that did not make a lot of sense (or jibe with other positions that it had), and that the reason God gave me a brain was to use it. Unlike you, I still believed in God, and still accept Jesus as His son. The details that we have been taught about His life on earth and His words and teachings may not be exactly what we have been lead to believe, but He did exist, and He did come here to save us. The priest however, is a mortal. He does as he was taught to do, enjoys the things of the earth as much as the rest of us, and passes gas after eating beans the same as you and I. He does not know what is waiting for us after death. He will teach us what he has been taught, not more and no less. Some of this may well be right, but some of it is speculation. The Catholic church is one of the better churches, but does not have have a lock on the Truth. That is because they only think that they know what the Truth is. We will have to wait to find out what really is, or is not, the Truth when we stand in front of God and answer for what we did in life. As to pets in heaven-my best friend is there waiting for me. I care not what the "official" position is on the matter. We were close in this life, and will be close in the next life. The Bible clearly states that what God has made that is good will last forever. He is good, and will share eternity with me. As to still being Catholic, I am a Catholic, and will die a Catholic. I do not attend church, and have problems with the teachings and dogma, but that is not what makes you Catholic.

I am not so sure it's about the truth but more about attempting to keep a large group of intelligent people with different views and beliefs in the same boat and stop the breaking up of the church. You only have to look at the refamation which created a break away and since then there are thousands of break away groups within this.

And the priest at my mother's church always had a blessing of the animals on that day. My mother insisted that we brought the dogs and it was kind of cool, if surreal, to see the church populated by folks with all manner of dogs, cats in carriers, bunnies, whatever pets they had. And they marched, in turn, up to the front of the church to be blessed.

I'm wondering if The Church's stance on animals in heaven has changed in recent years. I'm with you, have to wish to spend eternity anywhere where my pets aren't welcome. My brother still goes, but the last service I attended - in a lot of years - was my mother's funeral.