Atheists now have reason to rejoice. In a sermon on Wednesday, Pope Francis stated that one does not have to be a Catholic in order to be redeemed by the sacrifices of Jesus Christ.
While performing a homily during Wednesday mass in Vatican City, Pope Francis stunned many attendees by making his biggest religious decree so far. Though attempting to emphasize the predominance of doing good as a cornerstone for a person's redemption, his message still caused quite a bit of controversy.
Vatican Radio first broke news of Pope Francis' eyebrow-raising speech on Wednesday, going into detail over what was said and the context of his message:
"They complain," the Pope said in his homily, because they say, "If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good." And Jesus corrects them: "Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good." The disciples, Pope Francis explains, "were a little intolerant," closed off by the idea of ​​possessing the truth, convinced that "those who do not have the truth, cannot do good." "This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon." Pope Francis said, "The root of this possibility of doing good - that we all have - is in creation."
Further clarifying his point, Pope Francis continued:
"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. 'But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.' Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: we will meet one another there."
The debate on who is entitled to the kingdom of heaven is as old as religion, and there are plenty of people on both sides of the ideological lines. One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that it is a bold claim for the pope to make so early in his time at the Vatican.
"But rarely do you hear it said by Catholics so forcefully, and with such evident joy. And in this era of religious controversies, it's a timely reminder that God cannot be confined to our narrow categories," observed Father James Martin, S.J.