By Phil Thomson

(The Land)

A CATHOLIC priest has thrown the Bible at animal rights activists who have declared war on Aussie wool producers.

Listening to an animal rights campaigner is the quickest way to get Father Mick MacAndrew’s Irish up and now the foot soldier for God is on a one man “mission” to protect his flock from the pro-vegetarian, anti-mulesing group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The preacher has blessed the act of removing skin around a sheep’s tail to guard against flesh-eating parasites.

And he has told farming parishioners it is okay to lie about whether their wool comes from mulesed sheep so prices are not forced down by sanctions driven by PETA, which boasts 1.8 million members who believe animals are not supposed to be eaten, worn or used for entertainment.

“You can lie when an unjust organisation imposes sanctions or threats,” said Fr MacAndrew, who invoked the right of equivocation, where a person omits or misleads to protect the attack on their beliefs.

“PETA is dark, it’s the occult.”

The Bombala priest, aged in his late fifties, feared activists were muddying the world’s natural law by condemning animal husbandry knowledge dating back thousands of years.

“Are we humans being reduced to nothing but animal status?” he asked.

“Who wants to end up a forced vegan for the rest of their lives?”

Perhaps his sharpest barb is saved for Abercrombie and Fitch, the American retailer boycotting Australian wool.

“I went on to their website’s photo gallery and there were scantily dressed males and females - they wouldn’t be buying too much wool,” Fr MacAndrew said.

The part-time teacher pledged to educate pupils about the controversial farming practice when he tutors an agricultural science class next year.

The Catholic Church is yet to announce an official stance on mulesing.

The closest it ventured to an animal rights issue recently was when Pope Benedict XVI condemned battery hen farms.

“PETA accuses many livestock farmers of cruelty,” Fr MacAndrew said.

“Cruelty is against the law in Australia and the RSPCA monitors cruelty yet there’s never been a prosecution against a woolgrower for mulesing.

“It’s not a crime - mulesing is anything but cruel, cruel is the malicious and intentional intent to cause harm.

“It is carried out to prevent greater injury to the animal.”

Although Fr MacAndrew’s name sounds as Irish as the term “Guinness”, he is in fact of Jewish heritage.

His father changed the family surname following World War Two.