- Jun 18, 2014
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As Im quite sure most of you have noticed in the recent weeks, Pope Francis caused quite a havoc due to his apparent denial of hell. I have been faced with widespread questions by Protestant family since this very heterodox interview by the the pontiff. It is tiresome and tedious I think we all can agree to that. Even catholics got confused by this new strike by Pope Francis.
The Holy Fathers "sloppy style" is challenging for us laymen and for lots of clergy as well I believe. Well to cut to the chase so to speak, did the pope actually disregard hell (not that he could force such an idea upon the church) personally or is it as the Vatican later said a false quotation by Scalfari (once again - Trick me once shame on you, trick my twice...)
To add something to nuance the picture and to close in on which position the Pope holds Ive added a few links and such to work through.
The claim forwarded by Scalfari below:
Scalfari’s interview, published Thursday, quoted the pope as saying during a meeting that while the souls of repentant sinners “receive the forgiveness of God and go among the line of souls who contemplate him, the souls of those who are unrepentant, and thus cannot be forgiven, disappear.”
Ok this sounds like going against the Lateran council:
366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.235
235 Cf. Pius XII, Humani Generis: DS 3896; Paul VI, CPG § 8; Lateran Council V (1513): DS 1440.
But then obviously the Vatican went out and denounced that the Pope hold such heterodox views:
ROME - In his latest wide-ranging conversation with legendary 93-year-old Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the left-wing daily La Repubblica and a self-professed non-believer, Pope Francis is quoted describing creation in terms of energy, expressing pride at being called a “revolutionary,” and casting doubt on the existence of Hell.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke on Thursday issued a now-customary distancing statement, describing the conversation as a “private meeting, without releasing any interview,” and Scalfari’s front-page article on Thursday quoting Francis at length as “the fruit of his own reconstruction,” in which the pope’s words “are not cited textually,” and warning that it “should not be considered as a faithful transcript of the Holy Father’s words.”
link;
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/03...h-pope-doubts-hell-not-a-faithful-transcript/
So what are we to believe? The pope apparently says one thing, the vatican denounce it the next and the world moves on uncertain as to wether or not the Pope believe in such a fundamental teaching of not just Catholicism itself, but a universal belief shared throughout the history of Christendom of all flavors.
The pope himself has been silent on the matter as he so often do when the post-controversial remark waves hit.
To dig a bit deeper then, how plausible is it that the pope believes in this horrid heterodoxy?
In his recent Exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate" the pope expresses a very explicit belief in hell and Satan as a creature:
It is a mistake to think of Satan as just a myth, the Pope said
The path to holiness does not involve wrestling with some abstract boogeyman, but involves a “constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil,” Pope Francis said.
In his new apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”), released by the Vatican April 9, the Pope urged Christians not to think of the devil as an intangible construct but rather “a personal being who assails us.”
“We should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea,” the Pope wrote. “This mistake would leave us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more vulnerable.”
Taking advantage of that vulnerability, he added, the devil “does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom of hatred, desolation, envy and vice.”
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has warned of the presence of the devil and the dangers of going to hell if one doesn’t turn away from sin.
Link below:
The devil is real and not just a symbol, Pope Francis says in exhortation | CatholicHerald.co.uk
Another article strongly indicating that the Pope believes in hell:
Pope Francis to mafia: repent or 'end up in hell'
On Friday, before a packed church, the pope said it was in the criminals' own interests to change their ways. "There is still time to avoid ending up in hell. That is what is waiting for you if you continue on this path," he said. "You have had a father and a mother. Think of them. Cry a little and convert."
Expressing the hope that a "sense of responsibility" would eventually win out over corruption globally, he added: "This life that you live now will not give you happiness. The power and money that you have now from many dirty dealings, from many mafia crimes, is bloodstained money, is bloodstained power – you cannot bring them with you to the next life."
Francis's stance on organised crime is in contrast with that of some of his 20th century predecessors, who were perceived as presiding over a church reluctant to criticise mafia bosses. Victims had to wait until 1993 to hear an explicit papal condemnation, when John Paul II urged the guilty to "convert" and warned them that judgment day was coming.
Link below:
Pope Francis to mafia: repent or 'end up in hell'
If we see the Coherence in this Pontificate I find it totally unreasonable not to give the Pope the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this Annihilation/ hell controversy. Coherence isnt a word I think describe this pontificate, but teaching hell and warning people that they may end up there is one of the most coherent parts of Francis pontificate so far.
I hope we`re able to leave this issue behind us from now on cause its rather obvious that the 93 year old falsely interpreted Pope Francis on this occasion.
I would however hope and pray that this is the last "interview" he gets with the pope.
God bless.
The Holy Fathers "sloppy style" is challenging for us laymen and for lots of clergy as well I believe. Well to cut to the chase so to speak, did the pope actually disregard hell (not that he could force such an idea upon the church) personally or is it as the Vatican later said a false quotation by Scalfari (once again - Trick me once shame on you, trick my twice...)
To add something to nuance the picture and to close in on which position the Pope holds Ive added a few links and such to work through.
The claim forwarded by Scalfari below:
Scalfari’s interview, published Thursday, quoted the pope as saying during a meeting that while the souls of repentant sinners “receive the forgiveness of God and go among the line of souls who contemplate him, the souls of those who are unrepentant, and thus cannot be forgiven, disappear.”
Ok this sounds like going against the Lateran council:
366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.235
235 Cf. Pius XII, Humani Generis: DS 3896; Paul VI, CPG § 8; Lateran Council V (1513): DS 1440.
But then obviously the Vatican went out and denounced that the Pope hold such heterodox views:
ROME - In his latest wide-ranging conversation with legendary 93-year-old Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the left-wing daily La Repubblica and a self-professed non-believer, Pope Francis is quoted describing creation in terms of energy, expressing pride at being called a “revolutionary,” and casting doubt on the existence of Hell.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke on Thursday issued a now-customary distancing statement, describing the conversation as a “private meeting, without releasing any interview,” and Scalfari’s front-page article on Thursday quoting Francis at length as “the fruit of his own reconstruction,” in which the pope’s words “are not cited textually,” and warning that it “should not be considered as a faithful transcript of the Holy Father’s words.”
link;
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/03...h-pope-doubts-hell-not-a-faithful-transcript/
So what are we to believe? The pope apparently says one thing, the vatican denounce it the next and the world moves on uncertain as to wether or not the Pope believe in such a fundamental teaching of not just Catholicism itself, but a universal belief shared throughout the history of Christendom of all flavors.
The pope himself has been silent on the matter as he so often do when the post-controversial remark waves hit.
To dig a bit deeper then, how plausible is it that the pope believes in this horrid heterodoxy?
In his recent Exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate" the pope expresses a very explicit belief in hell and Satan as a creature:
It is a mistake to think of Satan as just a myth, the Pope said
The path to holiness does not involve wrestling with some abstract boogeyman, but involves a “constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil,” Pope Francis said.
In his new apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”), released by the Vatican April 9, the Pope urged Christians not to think of the devil as an intangible construct but rather “a personal being who assails us.”
“We should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea,” the Pope wrote. “This mistake would leave us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more vulnerable.”
Taking advantage of that vulnerability, he added, the devil “does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom of hatred, desolation, envy and vice.”
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has warned of the presence of the devil and the dangers of going to hell if one doesn’t turn away from sin.
Link below:
The devil is real and not just a symbol, Pope Francis says in exhortation | CatholicHerald.co.uk
Another article strongly indicating that the Pope believes in hell:
Pope Francis to mafia: repent or 'end up in hell'
On Friday, before a packed church, the pope said it was in the criminals' own interests to change their ways. "There is still time to avoid ending up in hell. That is what is waiting for you if you continue on this path," he said. "You have had a father and a mother. Think of them. Cry a little and convert."
Expressing the hope that a "sense of responsibility" would eventually win out over corruption globally, he added: "This life that you live now will not give you happiness. The power and money that you have now from many dirty dealings, from many mafia crimes, is bloodstained money, is bloodstained power – you cannot bring them with you to the next life."
Francis's stance on organised crime is in contrast with that of some of his 20th century predecessors, who were perceived as presiding over a church reluctant to criticise mafia bosses. Victims had to wait until 1993 to hear an explicit papal condemnation, when John Paul II urged the guilty to "convert" and warned them that judgment day was coming.
Link below:
Pope Francis to mafia: repent or 'end up in hell'
If we see the Coherence in this Pontificate I find it totally unreasonable not to give the Pope the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this Annihilation/ hell controversy. Coherence isnt a word I think describe this pontificate, but teaching hell and warning people that they may end up there is one of the most coherent parts of Francis pontificate so far.
I hope we`re able to leave this issue behind us from now on cause its rather obvious that the 93 year old falsely interpreted Pope Francis on this occasion.
I would however hope and pray that this is the last "interview" he gets with the pope.
God bless.
