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Pope Francis’ recent remarks about religious pluralism have sparked criticism from within the Catholic Church, with stinging comments coming from more conservative figures.
During an interfaith gathering in Singapore, the Pope went off-script from his prepared speech.
He emphasised that different faiths serve as “languages” leading to the same divine truth.
“There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God” Francis said, as reported by Crux Now.
“Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian and they are different paths [to God]”.
False idea
This inclusive message has drawn sharp reactions from a number of bishops and theologians.
Archbishop Emeritus Charles Chaput of Philadelphia voiced his concerns in an article for First Things.
Chaput argued that the idea that all religions “carry the same weight is a false idea that the successor of Peter seems to support”.
He called for Pope Francis to clarify his comments, urging him to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s teachings on faith and salvation.
Chaput expressed concerns that the Pope’s ambiguous statements could lead to confusion within the Church.
Similarly, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Texas, a vocal critic of Pope Francis, took to social media to question the Pope’s stance.
“Please pray for Pope Francis to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way. To deny this is to deny Him. If we deny Christ, He will deny us, He cannot deny Himself” Strickland posted.
Strickland has been a consistent critic of the Pope, particularly over issues such as abortion and LGBT rights, and his comments reflect a broader discomfort among traditionalist Catholics.
Rethink things thoroughly
Despite criticism of religious pluralism, some theologians have come to Pope Francis’ defence.
Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger, a Viennese-based emeritus professor of Old Testament Studies, suggested that the Pope’s remarks should not be overly scrutinised for theological precision.
“Catholics are often afraid to open their mouths.
“The fear of saying the wrong thing leads to a spiral of silence.
“But that is not the case with Pope Francis.
“He is not afraid of saying the wrong thing.
“Not everything he says is clever and sensible. You don’t have to agree with everything he says” says Schwienhorst-Schönberger. But the Pope’s words opened up the scope to rethink things thoroughly.
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