In comments likely
to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long,
open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari,
stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed
their consciences.
Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote:
“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith.
I
start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy
has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The
issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.
“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”
Robert
Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic journal The Tablet,
said the pontiff’s comments were further evidence of his attempts to
shake off the Catholic Church’s fusty image, reinforced by his extremely
conservative predecessor Benedict XVI. “Francis is a still a
conservative,” said Mr Mickens. “But what this is all about is him
seeking to have a more meaningful dialogue with the world.”
In a
welcoming response to the letter, Mr Scalfari said the Pope’s comments
were “further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in
dialogue with all”.
In July, Francis signalled a more progressive
attitude on sexuality, asking: “If someone is gay and is looking for
the Lord, who am I to judge him?”
Culled from
Naij.com
