Vatican contradicts Pope?

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I know how many feel about the Huffington Post, but…
Shortly after Pope Francis gave a groundbreaking homily in which he said even atheists who do good are redeemed, a statement from a Vatican spokesman seemed to walk back the pope’s words.

Just one day after the pope’s now famous remarks in Rome on May 22, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Thomas Rosica released comments stating that people who reject the teachings of Jesus Christ can’t be saved after all.

“All salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through the Church which is his body,” Rosica wrote. “Hence they cannot be saved who, knowing the Church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her.”

Rosica goes on to say that, “We can never say with ultimate certainty whether a non-Christian who has rejected Christianity…is still following the temporary path mapped out for his own salvation which is leading him to an encounter with God, or whether he has now entered upon the way of perdition,” according to his statement, published by the nonprofit news agency Zenit.org.

Rosica’s statement was written in response to the many calls and messages he received after Francis’ controversial homily.

In his homily, the pope said everyone, “even the atheists,” have been redeemed “with the Blood of Christ,” according to Vatican Radio.

“If we, each doing our 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 encounter,” Francis said. “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 Vatican’s statement seemed to attempt to do damage control for Francis’ remarks, emphasizing that his job is more to speak well than to provide an indisputable interpretation of the Bible.

“[Pope Francis] is first and foremost a seasoned pastor and preacher who has much experience in reaching people,” the statement said. “His words are not spoken in the context of a theological faculty or academy nor in interreligious dialogue or debate.”

huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/vatican-atheists-cant-be-saved_n_3346201.html
 
gracepoole said:
I know how many feel about the Huffington Post, but…
Shortly after Pope Francis gave a groundbreaking homily in which he said even atheists who do good are redeemed, a statement from a Vatican spokesman seemed to walk back the pope’s words.

Just one day after the pope’s now famous remarks in Rome on May 22, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Thomas Rosica released comments stating that people who reject the teachings of Jesus Christ can’t be saved after all.

“All salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through the Church which is his body,” Rosica wrote. “Hence they cannot be saved who, knowing the Church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her.”

Rosica goes on to say that, “We can never say with ultimate certainty whether a non-Christian who has rejected Christianity…is still following the temporary path mapped out for his own salvation which is leading him to an encounter with God, or whether he has now entered upon the way of perdition,” according to his statement, published by the nonprofit news agency Zenit.org.

Rosica’s statement was written in response to the many calls and messages he received after Francis’ controversial homily.

In his homily, the pope said everyone, “even the atheists,” have been redeemed “with the Blood of Christ,” according to Vatican Radio.

“If we, each doing our 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 encounter,” Francis said. “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 Vatican’s statement seemed to attempt to do damage control for Francis’ remarks, emphasizing that his job is more to speak well than to provide an indisputable interpretation of the Bible.

“[Pope Francis] is first and foremost a seasoned pastor and preacher who has much experience in reaching people,” the statement said. “His words are not spoken in the context of a theological faculty or academy nor in interreligious dialogue or debate.”

huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/vatican-atheists-cant-be-saved_n_3346201.html
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This has been discussed many times on the forum lately.

There is a difference between Redemption and Salvation.

All humanity has been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Christ, yes even atheists. That does not mean everyone goes to heaven.
You must respond to that redemption and accept it in order to be saved.

Pope Francis was saying that the since athiests are redeemed then they too have the ability to do good. Doing good can lead to faith, just as faith leads to good works. So if an atheist does good it could lead him to faith and therefore salvation.
So there is hope for the atheist who does good.

What Pope Francis said is totally in line with Catholic teaching
 
this is so over-argued

salvation is not redemption

two different things
 
Atheists may not have faith but can still do good in the world. perhaps we should encourage atheists to do good works and pray feverishly for these good works to lead them to Christ. Loving thy neighbor is afterall one of the greatest commandments. I think Pope Francis was not necessarily meaning they will be saved but who are any of us to say they won’t after all that is not for us to judge. God loves us all regardless and wishes for us to know Him better even if one is an atheist.
 
We must remember that anti-Catholic blogs and news sources are anti-Catholic and not accept their teachings. You cannot follow Satan and Christ simultaneously.
 
gracepoole said:
I know how many feel about the Huffington Post, but…
Shortly after Pope Francis gave a groundbreaking homily in which he said even atheists who do good are redeemed, a statement from a Vatican spokesman seemed to walk back the pope’s words.

Just one day after the pope’s now famous remarks in Rome on May 22, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Thomas Rosica released comments stating that people who reject the teachings of Jesus Christ can’t be saved after all.

“All salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through the Church which is his body,” Rosica wrote. “Hence they cannot be saved who, knowing the Church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her.”

Rosica goes on to say that, “We can never say with ultimate certainty whether a non-Christian who has rejected Christianity…is still following the temporary path mapped out for his own salvation which is leading him to an encounter with God, or whether he has now entered upon the way of perdition,” according to his statement, published by the nonprofit news agency Zenit.org.

Rosica’s statement was written in response to the many calls and messages he received after Francis’ controversial homily.

In his homily, the pope said everyone, “even the atheists,” have been redeemed “with the Blood of Christ,” according to Vatican Radio.

“If we, each doing our 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 encounter,” Francis said. “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 Vatican’s statement seemed to attempt to do damage control for Francis’ remarks, emphasizing that his job is more to speak well than to provide an indisputable interpretation of the Bible.

“[Pope Francis] is first and foremost a seasoned pastor and preacher who has much experience in reaching people,” the statement said. “His words are not spoken in the context of a theological faculty or academy nor in interreligious dialogue or debate.”

huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/vatican-atheists-cant-be-saved_n_3346201.html
Click to expand...
Actually, when Pope Francis was talking about “meeting there” he was NOT talking about who gets to Heaven. It was about having dialogue, something common to bring out the good. From “here”, Atheists and Christians can have a common ground.

MJ
 
The Pope is a man who is precise with his words and means what he says. He knows that it is correct to say “redeemed” but not “saved”, just as he knew that it was correct to ask the people to pray God’s blessing upon him, but not to ask the people for their blessing.
 
I doubt the Vatican would contradict the Pope, but clarifying. Pope Francis said atheists were redeemed, but Pope Francis did not say all atheists had salvation. To have salvation is a gift and every person has to make a choice to accept salvation.

Excerpt:

Did Pope Francis really say all atheists are redeemed?
What should we make of the claim that “The Lord has redeemed all of us…Even the atheists”? Well first, this is nothing new, and therefore hardly “news.” The Catholic Church has maintained for two-thousand years that Christ’s sacrificial death was for all (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:15 and 1 Peter 3:18.) As the Church teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"At the end of the parable of the lost sheep Jesus recalled that God’s love excludes no one: “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” He affirms that he came “to give his life as a ransom for many”; this last term is not restrictive, but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer who hands himself over to save us. The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: “There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”
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— (CCC, 605)

However in Catholic thought, Christ’s redemptive sacrifice on the Cross is not the same thing as salvation. Salvation is the result of accepting Christ’s redemption and applying it to our lives. Catholics know that Christ died for our sins but that we must receive that free gift by trusting in him, accepting his proposal of love, and following him with our life.

So while it’s true that Christ redeemed all people, even atheists, that doesn’t mean all atheists have accepted this gift or will be saved.

Perhaps an example will help clarify the difference between redemption and salvation. Suppose you destroyed your friend’s car causing $10,000 in damage. You’re taken to court, and the judge sentences you to five years in prison for the crime. But then I burst in and tell the judge, “My name is Brandon Vogt. I’m this man’s friend and I want to pay his penalty. Whatever it costs to fix the car and make things right, I’ll pay it.” The judge agrees.

Now even though I offer to pay the charge and “redeem” you, you still have a choice. You can either accept my offer and become a free man or you can reject my offer and choose to go to jail. The choice, of course, would be yours.

Christ’s redemption of all mankind is analogous to me paying off your $10,000 charge (to “redeem” literally means “to buy back” or "to restore.) Catholics understand that Christ paid the debt for every person, but we still must choose whether to accept that act of redemption—it’s not forced on you. You make your choice by whom you give ultimate allegiance: God or yourself, selfless love or self-imposed prison.
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Excerpt:

Pope Francis knows the difference between redemption and salvation. Do you?
Yes, the whole world – which includes all atheists, all sinners, all people, even all things – was redeemed by the Blood of Christ that was shed for us on Calvary. Jesus paid the ransom (the word “redemption” literally means the “buying back” of a thing), and His atoning sacrifice opened the gates of Heaven, which had been previously closed to humanity due to Adam’s sin.
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Code: 
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…." 1 Timothy 2:5-6
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The Cross redeemed all. Bam!
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But (and it’s a big but)… not everyone will choose to accept the redeeming love of God and its invitation to salvation. While God didn’t need our cooperation or permission to redeem us, without our cooperation and permission He will not save us. God is a gentleman, and He will not bring us into union with Him unless we desire that union. Redemption has come to all of us, thanks to Christ’s atoning work on the Cross approximately 2,000 years ago, but salvation is an individual choice that we each must make, a gift that we can accept or reject even up to our dying breath.
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So when Pope Francis said that everyone is redeemed, even atheists, he was correct! It’s a basic Christian tenet taught by Scripture, Tradition, and every pope before him – but one that implies nothing about any individual’s salvation. I wish that more journalists (and more Christians) were well-versed in the basics of the Faith, but the buzz and controversy gives us an opportunity to teach and clarify these truths for the world.
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I’ve expressed other concerns, but the Vatican did not contradict or correct the Pope when speaking of redemption vs salvation.
 
Steveabrous said:
This has been discussed many times on the forum lately.

There is a difference between Redemption and Salvation.

All humanity has been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Christ, yes even atheists. That does not mean everyone goes to heaven.
You must respond to that redemption and accept it in order to be saved.

Pope Francis was saying that the since athiests are redeemed then they too have the ability to do good. Doing good can lead to faith, just as faith leads to good works. So if an atheist does good it could lead him to faith and therefore salvation.
So there is hope for the atheist who does good.

What Pope Francis said is totally in line with Catholic teaching
Click to expand...
👍
I totally agree with you.So many people are making a fuzz about what the pope said because they didn’t realy read what he said.The Pope NEVER SAID atheists go to heaven.He said " even atheists are redeemed and if they do good we will meet there…"What is so difficult to understand in these words?
 
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