I am often asked the question, "what would Jesus do?" One of the most striking things about the words of Jesus is that they are all 100% true. God won’t and can’t tell lies or half-truths, or He would disprove His very own perfect nature. ["I am the Way the Truth and the Life."]
So now I would like to take the opportunity to ask the same question: What would Jesus do? Since animals do not have souls, what would Jesus tell school-aged children about their deceased pets? We certainly can’t play God and assume He would say anything in particular, but we can be just as certain that He would not tell them a half-truth, or a little white lie, just to spare their feelings.
Sqwid - you mention that as children grow up they will acquire a more mature understanding of the beatific vision - but how do we know that? The Act of Contrition used to contain the phrase "because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell..." But it was altered in the sixties. The reason most given for the change was that "children of 6 or 7 needen’t be overly concerned with the concept of Hell." However, these children kept the new form as adults. Is it surprising then that many catholics today, including some very liberal theologians, don’t believe in the existence of Hell?
The old addage is true - "To secure the man, instruct the child." In conclusion, I ask you to remember that Our Lady showed Hell to three young children at Fatima. She didn’t sugar coat it or water it down. Those children even saw one of their deceased 9 year old friends in the eternal fires. But rather than losing their faith (or their minds) they became quite saintly.
The truth shall set you free.