During his weekly address in the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis was consoling a little boy who had recently lost his dog, assuring the boy that he and his furry friend would reunite in heaven. “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures,” the pontiff said, according to Italian news sources. While the pope's words were applauded by animal groups such as the Humane Society, the statements contradict the conservative Catholic belief that animals can't go to heaven because they don't have souls.