In reaction to reports that Pope Francis has denied the existence of hell, the Vatican has released a carefully worded statement that does not refute the substance of the claims.
“The Holy Father Francis recently received the founder of the newspaper La Repubblica in a private meeting for the occasion of Easter, without giving him an interview,” the unsigned March 29 Vatican statement begins.
“What is reported by the author in today’s article is the result of his reconstruction, in which the pope’s exact words are not cited. No quotation of the aforementioned article must therefore be considered as a faithful transcription of the Holy Father’s words,” the statement concludes.
In other words, the Vatican denies that the article contains a faithful transcription of the pope’s “exact words” without taking issue with the basic content of the conversation. What is interesting is what is not said. The statement does not say that the author’s reconstruction of the conversation is erroneous, and nor does it deny that the pope said that hell does not exist.
The media saga began on Wednesday, when La Repubblica printed an article saying that the pope had expressly denied the existence of hell and the immortality of the human soul in a recent conversation with his longtime friend, Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the newspaper.
The informal interview between the pope and Scalfari carried the headline: “The Pope: ‘It is an honor to be called a revolutionary.’”
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Hell is for Satan and his demons.
ReplyDeleteHeaven is for all of God's Children (human souls).
Why would I care what the pope thinks. Rely on what God says.
ReplyDeleteGood grief. Its all mythology. Every bit of it. Mankind has manufactured thousands of religions and yet you all are convinced yours is the "one true God". Suckers .
ReplyDeleteHe has seen what America was like under the Democrats and that is why he said there is no hell in the underworld, it was here in this world!
ReplyDeleteThe hilarity of proclaiming that "only my group has truth"... and then never agreeing on what it is. Saying that they have "a personal relationship" yet never agreeing on doctrine.
ReplyDeleteThere are more sects of Christianity than there are verses in the Bible. Christians have actually fought and killed each other over doctrine.. one sect enacts law to prevent other sects from getting into politics (one of the reasons there is no religious test specifically written into our Constitution... our Deist forefathers know ya'll was crazy).
The hilarity occurs when you post all of your anti-Christian posts.
ReplyDeleteYou know not of what you speak, but think your elitist intellectualism is impressive.
Only to you.
It's hilarious to the rest of us.