Pope Francis: Diverse religious identities are ‘a gift from God’

[Michie]

Pope Francis addresses young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024 conference on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. | Credit: The Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës

Pope Francis praised cultural and religious diversity as “a gift from God” in a video message to an interreligious youth conference on Tuesday.

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

“Unity is not uniformity,” he added, “and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.”

Francis’ comment about diverse religious identities being a gift willed by God followed shortly after the pontiff made headlines over the weekend for telling young people in Singapore on Sept. 13 that “all religions are path[ways] to reach God.”

The pope’s video message Sept. 17 was sent to 50 young adults from 25 Mediterranean and Black Sea countries participating in Mediterranean Encounters 2024 (Med24) in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 15–21.

Continued below.

Pope Francis: Diverse religious identities are ‘a gift from God’

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered for Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[chevyontheriver]

Pope Francis addresses young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024 conference on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. | Credit: The Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës

Pope Francis praised cultural and religious diversity as “a gift from God” in a video message to an interreligious youth conference on Tuesday.

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

“Unity is not uniformity,” he added, “and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.”

Francis’ comment about diverse religious identities being a gift willed by God followed shortly after the pontiff made headlines over the weekend for telling young people in Singapore on Sept. 13 that “all religions are path[ways] to reach God.”

The pope’s video message Sept. 17 was sent to 50 young adults from 25 Mediterranean and Black Sea countries participating in Mediterranean Encounters 2024 (Med24) in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 15–21.

Continued below.

Pope Francis: Diverse religious identities are ‘a gift from God’

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered for Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

My inner Buddha seems ready to come out and play.

 

[Offline4Better.]

Pope Francis addresses young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024 conference on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. | Credit: The Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës

Pope Francis praised cultural and religious diversity as “a gift from God” in a video message to an interreligious youth conference on Tuesday.

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered in Tirana, Albania, for the Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

“Unity is not uniformity,” he added, “and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.”

Francis’ comment about diverse religious identities being a gift willed by God followed shortly after the pontiff made headlines over the weekend for telling young people in Singapore on Sept. 13 that “all religions are path[ways] to reach God.”

The pope’s video message Sept. 17 was sent to 50 young adults from 25 Mediterranean and Black Sea countries participating in Mediterranean Encounters 2024 (Med24) in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 15–21.

Continued below.

Pope Francis: Diverse religious identities are ‘a gift from God’

“Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a wealth, a wealth willed by God,” the pope told young adults gathered for Mediterranean Encounters 2024.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Ah man, this pope must have gotten some 1960s new age stuff inside of him. Why do you all defend this guy? I am a Catholic, and I am not gonna defend the Pope anymore, and will instead pray for Pope Francis.

My prediction of what the Pope will say in the future.
Pope Francis 2024: Religious Identities are a gift from God (woke)
Pope Francis 2025: Gender Identities are a gift from God (even more woke)

 

[Lukaris]

I believe this pantheon approach exists in most Christian groups within the primary Orthodox, Catholic, & Protestant categories. It seems like a weak minded modern tradition of man trying to compensate for the old school extreme of judging and condemnation of others.

Both tendencies seem to lack wisdom in understanding that our Lord will ultimately judge the good and the evil ( John 5:22-30). He never said anyone is automatically condemned but without the Gospel they are at great risk ( John 3:16-21). St. Paul explains this in Romans 2 &3 also. The warning of humanity facing condemnation is real but it doesn’t mean every individual who never heard ( or properly heard) is doomed or just loved into heaven as the goody goodies today smile about.

 

[concretecamper]

The Syllabus Of Errors
Pope BI. Pius IX - 1864

16. Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation. — Encyclical “Qui pluribus,” Nov. 9, 1846.

17. Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ. — Encyclical “Quanto conficiamur,” Aug. 10, 1863,

 

[chevyontheriver]

Ah man, this pope must have gotten some 1960s new age stuff inside of him. Why do you all defend this guy? I am a Catholic, and I am not gonna defend the Pope anymore, and will instead pray for Pope Francis.

He needs lots of prayers. And after you are done praying for him if you could also pray for me as I need lots of prayers too.

 

[Offline4Better.]

He needs lots of prayers. And after you are done praying for him if you could also pray for me as I need lots of prayers too.

I can pray for you as well. What do you need prayers for? Also, can you pray for me as well? I struggle with a sin that some young guys do: Lust.

More info is in here:

Forgiveness ≠ License to Sin

I try my best, though Jesus can help me, as Proverbs says. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." This passage encourages us to trust fully in the Lord and not...

www.christianforums.com

 

[chevyontheriver]

I can pray for you as well. What do you need prayers for? Also, can you pray for me as well? I struggle with a sin that some young guys do: Lust.

The young monk asked the old monk how long it would take for the temptation to lust to go away. The old monk said "I don't know. But I will guess it will be a few minutes after I die."

Point is it is good to battle it but it is not just a young man's sin. It gets better after a while, but that is correlated not with age but with self-control and grace.

 

[Offline4Better.]

The young monk asked the old monk how long it would take for the temptation to lust to go away. The old monk said "I don't know. But I will guess it will be a few minutes after I die."

Point is it is good to battle it but it is not just a young man's sin. It gets better after a while, but that is correlated not with age but with self-control and grace.

It seems that lust will be a lifetime battle then for me. However, I do hope that when I grow older and more mature, I do not mess around with myself as much. Also, the Catholic church mortal sin is pretty harsh on this rule. Like, hypothetically, I'd have to go to confession every day for this sin, which is not feasible. But hey, confession directly to Jesus is valid as well.

 

[chevyontheriver]

It seems that lust will be a lifetime battle then for me. However, I do hope that when I grow older and more mature, I do not mess around with myself as much. Also, the Catholic church mortal sin is pretty harsh on this rule. Like, hypothetically, I'd have to go to confession every day for this sin, which is not feasible. But hey, confession directly to Jesus is valid as well.

One day at a time until you can go two days at a time, then three and then four, until you can just say 'no' and stick the landing. Go to confession frequently even if not every day. There is grace to be found there for you. The soul you will save will be your own, with God's abundant help. Don't expect victory overnight, but don't stop trying. Small acts of strengthening your willpower will pay off in time. Fast too.

 

[Servus]

My drive has lessoned a great deal in my 60s.

 

[RileyG]

He needs lots of prayers. And after you are done praying for him if you could also pray for me as I need lots of prayers too.

Me too!

 

[RileyG]

I can pray for you as well. What do you need prayers for? Also, can you pray for me as well? I struggle with a sin that some young guys do: Lust.

More info is in here:

Forgiveness ≠ License to Sin

I try my best, though Jesus can help me, as Proverbs says. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." This passage encourages us to trust fully in the Lord and not...

www.christianforums.com

God bless

 

[RileyG]

I wonder how much was lost in translation? Or if the liberal media is twisting his words?

I truly don't know anymore.

 

[fide]

I believe this pantheon approach exists in most Christian groups within the primary Orthodox, Catholic, & Protestant categories. It seems like a weak minded modern tradition of man trying to compensate for the old school extreme of judging and condemnation of others.

Both tendencies seem to lack wisdom in understanding that our Lord will ultimately judge the good and the evil ( John 5:22-30). He never said anyone is automatically condemned but without the Gospel they are at great risk ( John 3:16-21). St. Paul explains this in Romans 2 &3 also. The warning of humanity facing condemnation is real but it doesn’t mean every individual who never heard ( or properly heard) is doomed or just loved into heaven as the goody goodies today smile about.

I see more of the distant dark past, than authentic current development toward human maturity. The Tower of Babel revisited, in other words. Satan doesn't need to write a revised version of his original methods: pride has nowhere else to go but down into hell.

 

[Offline4Better.]

One day at a time until you can go two days at a time, then three and then four, until you can just say 'no' and stick the landing. Go to confession frequently even if not every day. There is grace to be found there for you. The soul you will save will be your own, with God's abundant help. Don't expect victory overnight, but don't stop trying. Small acts of strengthening your willpower will pay off in time. Fast too.

Thank you. I will try.

 

[Offline4Better.]

My drive has lessoned a great deal in my 60s.

Hopefully, the world does not end before I turn 60. Cos I want to overcome this drive soon.

 

[fide]

The young monk asked the old monk how long it would take for the temptation to lust to go away. The old monk said "I don't know. But I will guess it will be a few minutes after I die."

Point is it is good to battle it but it is not just a young man's sin. It gets better after a while, but that is correlated not with age but with self-control and grace.

Maybe I should not try to respond to this matter, because it begs so many questions and so much discussion. I'll try to be brief, however: lust can be overcome, indeed defeated, by a growing presence in the soul of agape love - holy charity. Lust feeds the final enemy of the soul, self-idolatry; lust is therefore extinguished by holy love, agape love, which is the love with which God loves. When a man loves others as God does, and as He requires of us, there is no place for the disordered self-love that welcomes lust. When the soul grows in the love with which God loves, lust is hated and rejected in the soul as God hates and rejects it.

Therefore, this "problem" is not resolved by natural chronological years, or growing old in the natural sense, but it is resolved in the maturation of one's spiritual or "supernatural" age, which is gauged by the presence or state of divine and holy agape love in the soul, in the Interior Life conceived in the soul at Baptism.

So the truth begs the important question, "How do I gain this Holy Love in my heart and soul?" That is the question that every Catholic man ought to ask, and seek, and thus find.

 

[NBB]

The path lo life is narrow, and believing in something else makes it even more difficult to find it, it does not get you closer to God.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I believe Pope Francis is referring to the different religious orders in the Catholic Church which
have different spiritual aspects.

As an example, Discalced Carmelites are not the same as Franciscans and the diversity between
the orders work for Catholics seeking various forms of spirituality.