The same week I spoke in Appleton, the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church made a misleading and, in my opinion, even reckless statement in his Wednesday homily. Before I get into it let me make clear that my purpose here isn't to discuss the numerous errors, flaws, or noted heresies of Roman Catholicism. That discussion is for another time. Though some Roman Catholics may possibly take offense at what I'm about to say, I hope they will also take a long, hard look at these statements made by the man many claim is the voice for God on the Earth to see if what is said harmonizes with the Bible. That's the test the Scriptures themselves demand.

According to the Huffington Post (May 22, 2013), Pope Francis stated: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!"

Pope Francis' curious statements may be old news to some of you. But as astounding as they were, the majority certainly never heard them because only a few media outlets even reported the story, let alone lent any understanding as to what they mean. In fairness, I want to say that the Bible does indeed agree with the particular statement by the pope that I quoted here above. However, without any sort of explanation his words could prove eternally lethal for untold numbers who may have heard his address. Let's examine the implications.  

According to the Bible, Christ's blood is efficacious or completely able to cleanse from sin. Truly, mankind's redemption was fully paid for at the Cross. The pope had it right on this. However, though Christ's redemption is the ransom-paying work accomplished for all mankind by His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection, the fruit of redemption is evidenced in our salvation. The problem is that only the more astute theological types are likely going to split the fine hair between what the pope stated about Christ's redemption and the related but separate issue of our salvation. Certainly the general public (as well as many Catholics and Protestants) aren't going to conclude any difference between redemption and salvation. For most, the words "redemption" and "salvation" are interchangeable and taken to mean the same thing - especially since every dictionary and thesaurus I checked indelibly connects "redemption" and "salvation" together as synonymous and as words that actually define each other. For the record, eternal salvation is a free gift imparted through faith in Jesus Christ that each person must individually acknowledge, receive, and accept for themselves. Redemption is the act that paved the way and made possible the gift of salvation. John 3:16 frames this thought for us perfectly. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Understanding the confusion his statements caused, some of the pope's defenders have tried to spin the Huffington Post article with the claim that he was misquoted. However, even dyed-in-the-wool Catholics are finding the new pope's position hard to comprehend. On what is called "the largest Catholic community on the web" a regular contributor to the Catholic Answers Forum (a Catholic apologetics website) wondered "Maybe I am just dense or something but to me it appeared that what the Holy father was saying was that the only thing that was necessary for salvation was good works or deeds." Still, some Catholic apologists claim that the pope isn't saying that the atheists will be saved and are striving to make a distinction between the words "saved" and "redeemed" to get there. Are you catching how slippery this is? Now Catholic theologians have been working overtime to try to redefine the pope's statement and undo the damage. Instead of using provocative statements containing half-truths that are easily misunderstood, might it behoove the new pope to explain the words he chooses? However, what he stated next, on May 22, was yet again more troubling.

Pope Francis finished his statement with "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." This is more than the usual heavy emphasis placed on human works by the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is encouraging the atheists (as if atheists are actually listening to him) that they should do good works so they can meet Catholics "there." Where would "there" be? Heaven? Purgatory? The U.N.? The Vatican? Seriously, what biblical grounds is there to assure people who have not placed their trust in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ that anything besides eternal separation from God awaits them? In reality, for the unbeliever no amount of human effort or good works can reap any sort eternal reward, including a second chance to accept Jesus Christ after this life.

As I ministered in Appleton and mentioned the Pope's statements, I mused that it seemed to be assuring that every person on earth gets into heaven - or at least that human effort can procure a soul a second chance. This is how I perceived it - and I understand the difference between what took place in Christ's sacrifice and the salvation of an individual. Moreover, the world around us certainly perceives that the pope proclaimed that salvation (the same as "redemption" to the majority) is attainable for atheists through good works - not through faith and faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

I told the crowd at Calvary Chapel in Appleton that if I were a Roman Catholic I would be most disturbed by the pope's comments. After all, why should a Catholic strive to carry out all of the works-oriented ordinances that Catholicism demands just to hear their leader, the alleged mouthpiece for God in the world, announce that, like them, the atheists are redeemed (i.e. "saved")? Won't many Catholics take it that, by adding enough good works to their life's portfolio, in reality he or she could have lived like the devil and still have made it through the Pearly Gates in the end? Isn't Pope Francis signaling that Catholics can actually indulge in any and every worldly pleasure, vice, or conceivable darkness and ignore all the RCC rules? Just add enough good works and like the atheists, pagan Catholics can make it to Paradise in the end? Why toe the line in abiding with the many rules and rituals that Romanism has saddled its people with? Though I can imagine that the confession booth might be noticeably empty as a result of the pope's May 22 sermon, let's pray that Catholics abandon the rituals of Rome and come to true saving faith that depends solely on Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice for them.

Refuting Universalism - Eric Barger