text: The message of pope and patriarch is fine, but it would be stronger were it less anthropocentric. "Human dignity" is a great cause, but it should not suggest that only human beings have dignity, or have a dignity worth defending. "Care for creation," for the living creatures of Earth, must include compassionate concern for the well-being of nonhuman animals, especially those who have been traditionally exploited, the countless vertebrates who have been caught up in the deadly food industries.