Why is Pope Francis PETA's 2015 Person of the Year?

THE People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has named Pope Francis as its 2015 Person of the Year for good reasons.

First, he is the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of all animals, wrote Michelle Kretzer who works with the PETA Foundation. The current Pope is also the first religious leader to be picked as PETA’s Person of the Year. The group highly appreciates the way the pontiff asked the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics and all citizens of the world to reject human domination over God’s creation, treat animals with kindness, and respect the environment which is “something PETA views as a call to turn toward a simple, plant-based diet, given the now well-established role of animal agriculture in climate change,” said Kretzer.

In his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, His Holiness talked of the importance of treating animals with kindness, writing, “Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity'” and “We are not God. … [W]e must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”

Pope Francis' environmental stewardship is also lauded by PETA as it could help sway people toward vegan eating and help more animal species' survival in the long run.