'The Pope is simply affirming certain truths that any somewhat knowledgable Catholic will uphold.This makes the important distinction between "redemption" (which is universal: Jusus is the redeemer of the world) and "salvation" (what some call "being saved" --- the individual aceptance of Christ's all-sufficient redemptive work)."First, that Christ died to redeem the whole world. We can distinguish his redemptive work from the acceptance of salvation. He redeemed the whole world. However, many will reject that saving work. In affirming the universality of Christ’s redemptive work we are not universalists. To say that he redeemed the whole world is not to conclude that all will be saved.
"Secondly, the Pope is also affirming that all humans are created in God’s image and are therefore created good. Yes, created good, but that goodness is wounded by original sin.
"Thirdly, he is affirming that all men and women are obliged to pursue what is beautiful, good and true. Natural virtue is possible–even obligatory, but natural virtue on its own is not sufficient for salvation. Grace is necessary to advance beyond natural virtue to bring the soul to salvation. The Pope does not say atheists being good on their own will be saved. He says they, like all men, are redeemed by Christ’s death and their good works are the starting place where we can meet with them–the implication being “meet with them in an encounter that leads eventually to faith in Christ."
Through unrepented grave sin, some people refuse to accept the Lord's redemption --- and they lose their salvation.
“... the implication being “meet with them in an encounter that leads eventually to faith in Christ.””
The problem, as far as I see it, is that Christ should never be left as an implication. Christ is the focal point of the Gospel, and our main commission is to preach that Gospel, so Christ needs to be front and center.
POPE FRANCIS "It is beautiful to think of this, to think of Heaven. And we will all meet there. All of us, All of us...Up there...all of us.”
I mean, Pope Francis could have made a distinction between redemption and salvation by just quoting these EXACT verses in John 3:
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[b] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
All Pope Francis had to do, to spare Fr. Longnecker the ink, was to stick to the Scriptures. Those few verses right up there from John 3 would avoid such 'misquotes', 'mistranslations' etc.
But perhaps maybe we should look at why Pope Francis did not make the remainder of the Gospel message clear.
Do the pope a favor. Mail him a Bible.
I normally like Father Longnecker’s columns, but not when he tries to sugarcoat Francis’ heretical ramblings. In Francis’ world there is no need for a Catholic CHurch because everyone will make it to heaven anyway. Makes no difference at all if you’re a Christian, buddhist, muslim, or atheist. Just be a “good person” and we will all meet in heaven. I think Pope Francis needs a lesson in Catholicism for Beginners. He sounds like someone with no knowledge whatsover of the Christian faith.