There has been a social media backlash against an Indonesian Catholic priest and two Catholic women accused of arranging a ‘”wedding ceremony” for dogs. The priest clarified that he did not officiate an animal wedding and explained that the ceremony was simply a pet blessing. But he missed the point.
He said giving a Christian blessing to dogs was in line with the spiritual principles of the Franciscan Order. But the critics were not upset about the blessings, instead, they felt that dressing the dogs in traditional Javanese clothing was disrespectful to the culture.
Various groups demanded that the owners apologise or face potential legal action for insulting Javanese culture. The event was also criticised for being a frivolous expense given the many Indonesians living in poverty. Ultimately, the owners publicly apologised in response to the criticism at a press conference. Read more