In Nov. 1567, Pope Pius V banned bullfighting for 8-years. Two-hundred years later, Philip V threatened nobles with excommunication for bullfighting. In both cases the primary reason for the actions was that so many of the nobility were being killed in these spectacles. Suicide is also condemned by the Church and bullfighting was considered as little more than public celebration of suicide. During those times most bullfighting was done on horseback. Today most bullfights are done on foot and the spectacle has been dramatically revised in the last few hundred years so it is now rare that anyone is killed but injuries are common. In early years of bullfighting medical science was quite primitive so many of the deaths were cause by infections, blood loss and other conditions that are now treatable and curable. Today the Church has neither condemned nor encouraged bullfighting. It is neutral on the subject.
Chat with our AI personalities