NEW BRUNSWICK: Monks accused of 'unchristian' farming

11.dec.09
Globe and Mail
Oliver Moore

A New Brunswick monastery that felt a blast of outrage over its
willingness to harbour disgraced Roman Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey is
facing new heat over farming practices that critics call "unchristian."
The animal-rights group PETA, which earlier prompted monks at a U.S.
abbey to quit raising chickens, is hoping scripture, moral suasion and
the words of Pope Benedict XVI will spark change at Our Lady of Calvary
Abbey in Rogersville, N.B.
"It denies God to treat animals this way," PETA's Bruce Friedrich said
yesterday. "It's standard factory farming. They are denying these
animals everything God designed them to be and to do."
He added that the monks' argument that they "carefully follow government
norms" carries little weight.
"The monastery should not hide behind human laws, they should do what is
morally right," Mr. Friedrich said. "Cruelty to animals is not just
immoral, it's unchristian."
PETA launched a campaign against the monastery's farm practices this
week that was marked by its subdued tone, in stark contrast to others
that have involved brash tactics and public nudity. It asks people to
write "courteous" letters to the monastery and refrain from telephoning
out of "respect for the monks' life of prayer and silence."
Agriculture has long been part of life at the abbey south of Miramichi,
which has more than 100 head of dairy cattle and an annual chicken
production of about 300,000.