Last week, Pope Francis wrapped up a 12-day-long tour throughout the Asia Pacific region. The trip, the longest of his pontificate, took Francis to the nations of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea (where he made some remarks that some found controversial).
But at his final tour stop, the 88-year-old Francis seems to have saved his best – or at least most contentious – comments for last.
“God is for Everyone”
Speaking to children in Singapore, a multi-faith country where Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism are all common, Francis suggested in what appeared to be off-the-cuff remarks that following any faith can get you to heaven.
"All religions are paths to reach God,” Francis told those gathered.
“They are, to make a comparison, like different languages, different dialects, to get there. But God is God for everyone. If you start to fight saying 'my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isn't', where will this lead us? There is only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christians; they are different ways to God."
Francis has long advocated for increasing interfaith dialogue and connectivity between faiths, and his recent comments are seemingly aligned with that ethos.
But critics say it doesn’t exactly line up with Catholic dogma.
Catholics Cry Foul
The pope's comments sparked quite a reaction from more conservative-minded Catholics, some of whom went as far as to call it heresy.
They say that per Catholic doctrine, no, God is not for everyone. God is for Catholics, and salvation is found through Christ alone.
Other critics pointed to the 2000 Catholic declaration Dominus Iesus, which clarified Catholic dogma that the Catholic Church is the one true church and that salvation is reached through Jesus alone. Specifically, the passage which reads: “It must be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith that the universal salvific will of the One and Triune God is offered and accomplished once for all in the mystery of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.”
Does the Pope Misunderstand Catholicism?
This isn’t the first time Pope Francis has been accused of misunderstanding Catholic fundamentals.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis caught the ire of Catholics for saying that humanity is “fundamentally good” – which similarly sparked accusations of papal heresy.
Is the pope’s notion that “God is for everyone” yet another controversial, or even heretical, statement from Francis?
Or is this being blown out of proportion by agitators hoping to score points against a progressive-leaning pope they disagree with?
How do you see things?
8 comments
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Michael Howard Schrader
As a Jesuit-trained Catholic, I was taught that John was not written by John and was written well after Jesus' death, so the words attributed to Jesus are actually put in his mouth by whomever wrote this Gospel. The real heretics are the evangelical conservative Catholics who love to play the Bible quote game to promote their political agenda.
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Robert Hauck, MD, FAAP
What a breath of fresh air!! Let there be light and enlightenment!!
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Paula Copp
Perhaps the pope is getting to the point where he realizes that no matter which way you go, you’ll get there eventually. It’s not for us to judge others…
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Tareq Asfour
Why is everybody surprised about catholic christianity? Catholic Christianity is based on Judaism + Roman paganism…
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Alvin Rollins
I believe that is a God. But I don't believe there is any true religion. I feel that religion is just another way humans created as a way to say "I'm better than the next guy" there is not any true religion. Lots of people seem to scream that they're Christian while not even remotely acting Christ like. Let's just stop all the hate and live and let live. If a door to heaven opened tomorrow and only the pure of heart was able to enter there probably wouldn't be even one person that could pass through that door. Face it what ever we may think no one is perfect and no one is truly deserving any more than any one else. Rather you worship God or fence post no one truly knows who is right. Why would we even bother to to say who is right.
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Brother William
...and yet.....Pope Francis IS the POPE...right? He is the Apostolic successor to Saint Peter...an office which is renewed every time a new Pope receives the instruments of his office ".Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram edificabo ecclesiam meam." ....Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church"...(Matthew 16: 16-18)..... As such, he stands in the Shoes of the Fisherman.....He IS Peter! According to the teaching of the First Vatican Council (July 18, 1870) as proclaimed in "Pastor Aeternus: First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ".... the Pope is protected by the Holy Spirit from teaching error......, ie: the Dogma of Papal Infallibility! SO....we have a DILEMMA....In his discourse to the children at Singapore, Pope Francis tells them that ""All religions are paths to reach God,”......which on its face seems to contradict a passage in the Gospel of Saint John 14:6...."“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me " ....Pope Francis.....speaking to the Children like Jesus did....has brought the whole Church to a very critical moment.....and has confronted us with a very compelling thought and it MUST be considered reverently and with respect.....I don't have a wise solution to this dilemma.....but perhaps Pope Francis has had a private revelation....one in which God reveals a new aspect or facet of Himself....one we have not SEEN before....OR ....maybe we HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE....but we are too arrogant and bound up in our very narrow interpretations of Scripture and Tradition... Pope Francis has challenged us with his words to the Children.....perhaps we need to think about the possibility that God Our Father actually LOVES ALL OF HIS CHILDREN WHOM HE CREATED....and by whatever Light He gave to each one....He will bring them ALL home to Him! Let's all listen to Pope Francis lovingly....and discuss his words and his thoughts and see how they fit into our understanding of the broad and deep Apostolic Tradition which we have received!....so be it!
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Theresa C. Marquess
It's hard to know how to take Pope Francis in view of the contriversial comments that he's made. Oh, that this one would be true! I agree with R. Hauck in his recent comment that it is "a breath of fresh air"...finally! Essentially, we are all one, always have been, always will be.
well now the IBM (or Verizon) of religion is getting heat.
apparently every religion thinks it's the one and true fairy tale
let the Squid God Games begin lol