Smykowski, Krzysztof (Prymasowski Instytut Kultury Chrześcijańskiej im. Stefana Kard. Wyszyńskiego w Bydgoszczy, 2014)
The numerous subjects of handbooks on moral theology before the Second Vatican Council included animals and people’s proper relation to them. Animals, which are divided into domestic, tamed and wild, do not have reason so they are not subject to rights and man has no duties towards them. Therefore, moralists mostly focus their considerations on methods of human acquisition of ownership rights to animals. People can use those to reach their rational, morally justified goals if they have a sufficient reason for that. Moralists explicitly condemn cruelty to animals, even though this is considered a venial sin only. Their teaching is reflected in catechisms, sermons and the daily lives of Christian people.
