What the pope has said is not true. A person who does not believe in God has no chance of heaven. Just read the bible. Over and over again, reference is made to the point that you must believe in God in order to make it into heaven. A man who says otherwise is distorting the truth.
There comes a time when you must rely on what you have learned and been taught, and not listen to what is twisted teaching. Why would God allow somebody who spends their life being arrogant and ignoring science and nature and all other evidences to say there is no God enter heaven when you and I are breaking our necks to serve him, and we have to worry if we’ll make it? Come on! Get real! Atheists going to heaven?
In the end, is it just a matter of doctrinal brainpower, of thinking that we have saving faith, that assures our salvation?
“... we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we MAY HAVE GOOD REASONS FOR BELIEVING that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor.”
-St. Theresa of Avila (my emphasis)
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.” (1 Jn 4:7-11)
St. John’s short letter is very good at keeping together Christ’s divinity, His redemptive sacrifice, and our response of charity — a unity eloquently expressed by Pope Francis:
“In the Old Testament, the requirement to be holy, in the image of God who is holy, included the duty to care for the most vulnerable people, such as the stranger, the orphan and the widow (cf. Ex 22:20-26). Jesus brings this Covenant law to fulfilment; He who unites in himself, in his flesh, divinity and humanity, a single mystery of love.
“Now, in the light of this Word of Jesus, love is the measure of faith, and faith is the soul of love. We can no longer separate a religious life, a pious life, from service to brothers and sisters, to the real brothers and sisters that we encounter.
“We can no longer divide prayer, the encounter with God in the Sacraments, from listening to the other, closeness to his life, especially to his wounds. Remember this: love is the measure of faith. How much do you love? Each one answer silently. How is your faith? My faith is as I love. And faith is the soul of love.”
(10/26/14)