Vatican Contradicts Pope on Fate of Atheists

Er, is that allowed?

The Vatican has just announced that, despite what Pope Francis said in his homily earlier this week, atheists are still going to hell.

What a relief. For a brief moment there it was possible to imagine a brave new world of compassion, generosity and acceptance, not qualities we have come to associate with the Holy See.

Said Pope Francis this week: 'The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!'

(Hat tip to Amy Alkon)

Comments

[lap83]

This is not a question of "compassion, generosity and acceptance" so much as theology. If the Pope meant that someone can die an athiest and go to heaven, obviously that's not the Catholic doctrine. If he meant that Jesus can redeem anyone who accepts him as the way to redemption, even if they were an athiest (ala the Apostle Paul), that would be consistent with Catholicism.

[Vincent Milburn]

Paul was a Jew.

[Brian from Texas]

The new Pope appears to be what George Carlin would call 'a Christian who actually behaves like a Christian'. I guess some people in his church have a problem with that.

[ant1sthenes]

How do you mean? There's a difference between treating people compassionately and believing that they will be forgiven in the afterlife without faith, just like you can treat a person on death row with kindness and respect while recognizing that they're probably not getting a pardon, and certainly not without some evidence of changing their ways to the satisfaction of the governor. It's not your call either way, so how does compassion enter into it?