It is written that God has magnified his word
above his name . So, let us use the word
of god to test the pope’s homily .
…thou hast magnified thy
word above all thy name. (Psalm 138:2)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64: 6)
It is also written that :16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.( John 3:16-19)
It is further written that :
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.( 1 John 5:11-12)
Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics
Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.
During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter" to support peace.
Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how upset Jesus' disciples were that someone outside their group was doing good, according to a report from Vatican Radio.
“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”
"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.”
"Pope Francis is saying,
more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for
everyone. That's always been a Christian belief. You can find St. Paul saying in the First Letter to
Timothy that Jesus gave himself as a "ransom for all." 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."
The pope's comment has also struck a chord on Reddit, where it is the second most-shared piece.
More from Reuters:
Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope
Francis said on Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions -
or no religion - work together.
The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning Mass in his residence, a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.
He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.
"Even them, everyone," the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good," he said.
"Just do good and we'll find a meeting point," the pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: "But I don't believe. I'm an atheist."
Francis's reaching out to atheists and people who belong to no religion is a marked contrast to the attitude of former Pope Benedict, who sometimes left non-Catholics feeling that he saw them as second-class believers.
Pope Francis says atheists who do good are SAVED
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2330135/Pope-Francis-says-atheists-good-SAVED.html#ixzz2UJN6O99e
- Leader of world's Roman Catholics made comments at daily morning Mass
- Homily urged that people of differing beliefs work together
PUBLISHED:| UPDATED:
Pope Francis has said atheists who are good are redeemed by Jesus in a homily urging that people of differing beliefs work together.
The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments at the morning Mass in his residence - a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.
He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.
'Even them, everyone,' the Pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. 'We all have the duty to do good,' he said.
'Just do good and we'll find a meeting point,' the Pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: 'But I don't believe. I'm an atheist.'
Francis's reaching out to atheists on Wednesday and people who belong to no religion is a marked contrast to the attitude of former Pope Benedict.
He sometimes left non-Catholics feeling that he saw them as second-class believers.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, Father James Martin explained Pope Francis' homily.
He said: 'Pope Francis is saying, more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for everyone.... 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.'
On Sunday, the Pope was captured on film performing an apparent exorcism.
Footage taken in St Peter's Square purported to show Pope Francis carrying out a ritual to liberate a young man from demons.
The disabled man went into a frenzy of convulsions and shook, then slumped as Francis prayed over him.
The Pontiff was introduced to two men in wheelchairs after Pentecostal mass on Sunday. When a priest leaned across to tell Francis something, the Pope's expression took on a serious tone.
Francis then took hold of the top of the man's head firmly, pushing him down into his wheelchair. As he delivered an intense prayer, the man's mouth dropped open and he heaved deeply half a dozen times, visibly shaking.
After the ritual Francis continued with his usual meetings with the sick who come to St Peter's.
Experts said the footage broadcast on the religious satellite channel TV2000's programme Vade Retro, shows the Pontiff reciting a prayer to drive evil spirits from the body.
Pope
says no to intolerance, everyone can and must do good, even atheists
As he celebrated Mass this morning, Francis said that the possibility of doing good is part of creation, and that Christ redeemed all of us, not only Catholics. Doing good "is a beautiful path towards peace" whilst "killing in the name of God is blasphemy."
05/22/2013 14:27
VATICAN
The pontiff began his reflection with today's Gospel about the disciples who wanted to prevent a person from outside their group from doing good.
"They complain" 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." But Jesus corrected them. 'Do not stop him,' he said. 'Let him do good'."
"The disciples," the Pope said, "were a little 'intolerant', set on the idea that they owned the truth, believing that 'all those who do not have the truth cannot do good.' And 'this was wrong'." In fact, "Jesus 'broadens the horizon."
"The root of this possibility of doing good," which we all have, "lies in creation. 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, he is not Catholic! He cannot do good.' Yes, he can. He must. 'He cannot.' He must! Because he has this commandment within him. Instead, such 'closing off' [of the mind], which makes us think that all those outside [of our group] cannot do good, is a barrier that leads to war as well as to what some throughout history have thought [possible], namely killing in the name of God, [the idea] that we can kill in the name of God. And that, simply put, is blasphemy. To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy."
"On the contrary, the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in our heart: Do good and do not do evil. The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, what about the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us first class children of God! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, with everyone doing his own part; if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of meeting: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good! We shall meet there."
"Doing good" is not a matter of faith. "It is a duty. It is an identity card our Father gave all of us because He made us in His image and likeness. And He does good, always."
"Today," the pope said, is [the feast day of] Saint Rita, patron saint of impossible things." Although doing good may "seem impossible, let us ask her this grace, this grace that everyone, everyone will do good; that we may meet [engaged] in this work, which is the work of creation, like the creation by the Father. Work done by the family, because we are all children of God, all of us, all of us! And God loves us, all of us! Let Saint Rita grant us this grace, even though it might seem almost impossible. Amen."
