Posted on 09/13/2024 8:42:50 AM PDT by ebb tide
Pope Francis today told young people of different faiths that “every religion is a way to arrive at God.”
Addressing an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore just before departing for his return flight to Rome, Pope Francis turned to one of the central themes of his pontificate – inter-religious dialogue.
“One of the things that struck me about all of you here is your ability to engage in inter-religious dialogue, and this is very important,” he told the crowd, assembled in Singapore’s Catholic Junior College.
Notwithstanding any comments to the contrary, the Catholic Church has consistently and clearly taught that it is the only true Church, the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22), and it exercises the charge given by Christ to spread the Gospel to all nations and to bring souls into the Church (Mark 16).
Every religion’ reaches God
Leaving aside his prepared speech and speaking without a script {transcript subsequently published here}, Francis instead spoke chiefly on dialogue between religions, having just taken questions from a Catholic, a Sikh, and a Hindu.
The meeting’s widely varied mix of creeds represents Singapore’s status as one of the most diverse religious nations in the world. Focusing on this, Francis urged that no religion be given priority but that individuals instead focus on parity between beliefs:
If we start to fight amongst ourselves and say “my religion is more important than yours, my religion is true, yours is not,” where will that lead us? Where?
It’s okay to discuss [between religions].
Continuing, the Pope declared that each religion is a means to attain God, stating:
Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true?
There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.
The Pope’s words were warmly welcomed by those present in the hall, which included leaders and representatives of Singapore’s many religious bodies and the large papal retinue.
Francis also dedicated time warning of the dangers of “bullying” and urging young people to have “courage” to move forward in inter-religious dialogue.
In order to have inter-religious dialogue between youth it takes courage, because youth is really the time when there is courage in our lives. But you can also have this courage and use it for things that really don’t help you, or you can use that courage to move forward and engage in dialogue.
Engaging in a discussion with the selected young people on the stage about the evils of bullying, Francis urged that to “move past” differences “helps with inter-religious dialogue.”
“You can build and move forward with inter-religious dialogue when you respect each other, and this is very important.”
READ: Bishop Schneider: There is no divine positive will or natural right to the diversity of religions
He encouraged them to build a “safe space” where they could discuss their differences without fear of bullying. “Because dialogue is something that creates a path, a way,” Francis said.
He closed the meeting by calling on all present to “pray for each other” in silence. The Pope did not give a formal blessing – echoing his actions in Indonesia – but instead vocally called for God’s blessings on those present:
Let’s pray for each other … May God bless all of us. And as time passes and you become older, especially as you become grandparents, pass this on to the children and grandchildren.
God bless you and pray for me, but pray in favor, not against [me].
Following the conclusion of Francis’ comments, the young people assembled made an inter-religious pledge, committing to promote religious dialogue and harmony:
We the future generation pledge to be a beacon of unity and hope by promoting cooperation and friendships that nurture the harmonious co-existence between people of diverse beliefs.
READ: Pope Francis skips Sign of the Cross to impart blessing ‘valid for all religions’
Speaking to a similar inter-religious gathering of youth in Indonesia only last week, Francis said “Here, you are from diverse religions, but we have only one God, He is only one.”
Pope Francis has made numerous inter-religious statements and collaborated in formal documents on the matter – notably the controversial 2019 Abu Dhabi document and the Istiqlal Declaration, signed just days ago in Indonesia. The Abu Dhabi text has been described as seeking to “overturn the doctrine of the Gospel” due to its promotion of equality of religions in a form of “fraternity.”
However, the much-loved and widely respected approved catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, reminds readers simply that “The one true Church established by Christ is the Catholic Church.” {Q. 152}
READ: EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Schneider says Vatican is betraying ‘Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind’
Catholic doctrine teaches that this fact is knowable since the Catholic Church alone has the four marks of being the true Church: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.
As a result, the Church teaches that all souls must “belong” to the Church to be saved: “All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved.” {Baltimore Catechism Q 166.}
This teaching of “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” (no salvation outside the Church), has been increasingly rejected by modernizing activists in recent years, yet remains valid and unchanging in the Church’s teaching.
Pope Leo XIII pronounced it clearly in his 1824 encyclical letter Ubi Primum:
It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery.
By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.
The Vatican’s 1949 decree from the Holy Office instructed bishops charged with promoting true ecumenism to draw souls to the Church, and that they must always teach the fullness of the Church’s priority:
By no means is it permitted to pass over in silence or to veil in ambiguous terms the Catholic truth regarding the nature and way of justification, the constitution of the Church, the primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, and the only true union by the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ.
The Catholic Church notes that it is possible for those remaining outside the Church “through no grave fault of their own” and who are somehow unaware that the Church is the true Church, to still be saved “by making use of the graces which God gives them.” However, salvation in these cases of “invincible ignorance” is not found through other churches, but is through the Catholic Church as the channel of grace, as taught by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Every language but Latin.
Apostate Pope Ping
I guess that means we don’t have to listen to Francis anymore when he drones on about immigration and climate change.
Headchoppers and gay killers for Jesus?
How in the world did this guy become pope? Surely, they knew of his “leanings” beforehand. Wow, just wow.
And there we have it... An Anti-Christ sits in the Vatican. (Be sure to notice I didn’t say THE Anti-Christ)
This very statement is a common statement in pagan religions, especially those of witchcraft.
Similar statements often utilized is that God is like a diamond and each facet is a religion.
Like all things demonic, it mimics the truth.
Perhaps he should re-read John 14:6.
I’m sorry, but Francis is a low IQ fool
His theology is a collection of saccharin post-modern slogans.
He ought to make them into a line of motivational corporate wall-art, so popular in the 1990s
Heresy.
What’s next, Bergoglio saying “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”?
I guess that makes Jesus a liar.
Yet another reason why Lutheran Christians, since the time of Martin Luther, regard the pope — in this case “Francis, the Talking Pope” — as the Anthchrist.
“They are different paths”. So, Jesus was wrong? Is that what he’s saying? Or has he not read the Bible?
Just a hunch here, but I’m thinking Francis doesn’t read much Torah, Prophets or New Testament.
The devil is alive and well. “666” is real.
Pope Francis.....making it tough to be Roman Catholic since 2013.
right now he is a chief anti-Christ- proving over and over again that he doesn’t understand or believe in the very bible, the very word of God in which he purportedly teaches
With Bergoglio, this could just be lip-service from an opportunistic atheist. BUT if he really believes this, his is the mentality of freemasonry, not Christianity.
Same way we got Biden
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