During his visit to Ireland, Pope Francis will be urged to speak in favour of a ban on cruel hare coursing. Letter to the Editor, Irish Mail on Sunday (June 17th 2018) The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports (CACS) will be calling on the Pope, when he visits, to support the abolition of hare coursing in Ireland. The Pontiff took the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of animals and the environment, a man who abhorred acts of cruelty to beings he hailed as his “brothers and sisters”. Each October, on the saint’s Feast Day, animal blessing are held worldwide, officiating clergy calling down God’s protection on “all creatures, great and small.” At the so-called National Coursing Festival earlier this year I saw hares running from hyped-up dogs in the middle of a blizzard. Thick swirling snow, driven by searing winds, fell on a converted racecourse. Captive animals dodged and skidded around the slush covered baiting venue. Well dressed fans howled their approval, laughing, cheering, gambling, and swigging whiskey in a latter-day coliseum. The three day fixture was the culmination of a five month season during which hares were mauled, had their bones crushed, or were “dispatched” by having their necks broken following other injuries. Video footage posted on YouTube exposes the gut wrenching savagery that our government allows. It may be too much to hope for, that the Pontiff will find the time, or the inclination, to speak out on this issue when he visits in August. It will not be at the top of his list of diplomatic or ecclesiastical priorities. Whatever about His Holiness, we believe that Saint Francis would have banned hare coursing. John Fitzgerald (Campaign for the Abolition Of Cruel Sports), Callan, Co. Kilkenny