[BenLurkin]

I respectfully request the Holy Father to re-read scripture.

[Sacajaweau]

I’m going to keep ‘blievin just in case.

[BenLurkin]

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8

[This Just In]

YOU’RE BEING PLAYED BY THE MEDIA.

BenLurkin, the media intentionally misquoted the Pope.

I’m not a Catholic, but I will say that the pope did not express what the headline reads.

[DannyTN]

What did he actually say? I'm not sure I'd trust the media, to report that accurately.

There were three times when Jesus was asked how to have eternal life.

The first time was when the rich young ruler came to him. Jesus quoted several of the commandments. The ruler said "I've kept those from my youth". Jesus said sell all your goods and follow me. The rich young ruler went away sorrowful. Effectively even thought the rich young ruler had lived an extremely good life by human standards, Jesus had focused him on "Have no other God before me". And he failed.

The second time a lawyer asked. Jesus replied what's written in the law?" The Lawyer replied "Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus said, "Do this and you will live." The lawyer "seeking to justify himself" asked "who is my neighbor?". Which led to the parable of the good Samaritan. Again Jesus answered obey the law, but in such a way that it showed the seeker his faults.

The third time was Nicodemus. To Nicodemus, Jesus said, "You must be born again."

There are two ways to get to heaven. Never sin, or be forgiven. Scripture tells us none are righteous, nobody has done or will do the first, except for Jesus.

[keats5]

The headline is obviously inflammatory, but the quote in the article says nothing of the sort. The supplied quote does not even address the issue of who goes to heaven.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

I trust Scripture and not a religious leader. So I will stick with being a Born Again, Spirit Filled believer who happens to do good works because I believe we should do what is pleasing to the Father. And that is what Jesus did when He was on earth
Amen
and Freegards
LEX

[CMB_polarization]

I thought purgatory was the destination of nice unbelievers.

[markomalley]

You know better than to rely upon the MSM for matters regarding the Church. Puhleeese.

As Father Z said, Newspapers are not where the Church deepens doctrine or changes disciplines.

[Impala64ssa]

Oh, so it's cool to worship the The Flying Spaghetti Monster? Viva Pastafarianism! /s

[Vendome]

WTH?

[Kansas58]

At the time that Jesus was walked on the Earth, and preached in the temples, Jesus did NOT rebuke the Jews for the Old Testament Books contained in the Catholic Bible, which Martin Luther later found objectionable.

Maccabees, in particular, clearly shows that God intends for us to “pray for the dead”. Under Catholic doctrine, I can see where someone who had led a good, just life but had not accepted God, could be given that chance. Purgatory would allow for such a situation.

I find it hard to believe that those who have not had an opportunity to know Christ would be sent straight to Hell.

My God is better than that.

[2nd Amendment]

Ok . .OK OK! W’eve got the Antichrist and False Prophet . . but where is the Beast?

[Gay State Conservative]

That's certainly not what I was taught.Perhaps this comment is in some way connected to Saint Thomas.

[detective]

From the article the Pope writes:

“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart.”

This is very different than what was stated in the headline. The Pope said if someone shows true contrition they will be forgiven for their sins. Even those who say they don’t believe in God commit sins if they don’t follow their conscience and act in a way that is evil.

The MSM gets almost everything wrong. They are trying to portray Pope Francis as a leftist. The article says as much.

[El Cid]

“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. “Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

I don't know what the pope is trying to say (from the headline) -- but from this quote he says you have to go to God with a sincere and contrite heart (we agree) ... Ergo, the person must believe in God -- otherwise said person would not go to God (with a sincere and contrite heart).

Seems like the headline and this quote don't mesh together.

[SkyDancer]

Well in a way I can see it. Just because there are people that have never heard of Yashua aren't condemned but are judged on their conscience. Up until almost the Middle Ages when Europeans started out investigating the world nobody outside of Europe/the Middle East ever heard of Him. I'm talking people of the Pacific islands, Japan, China, North and South America. Are those people condemned? Then too, people before Yashua came on the scene. Lots of nations never heard of the Hebrew G-d nor of Yashua.

I don't want to cause a controversy her or argue anything, just saying.

[RitaOK]

I’m going to respectfully suggest you have been sand bagged.

[Hoffer Rand]

I respectfully request the Holy Father to re-read scripture.

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:5-8) comes to mind. I'm sure there are others.

[Amendment10]

... stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

With all due respect to the Pope, given his stance on same-sex sexual relationships if I understand that correctly, such people are following their consciences after all, it doesn't surprise me that he doesn't seem to understand major problems with unrepentant sin.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. --Proverbs 14:12, KJV

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

The statement attributed to the Catholic Pontiff is a strange thing for a Christian leader to say, unscriptural as well: "I am the way, the truth, and the light and no man comes to the Father except by me." Jesus of Nazereth