In an Open Letter to the founder of La Repubblica, Pope Francis stated that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.
La Repubblica is a radical / socialist newspaper that has moderated to a center-left political stance, in recent years, and was the largest circulation newspaper in Italy in 2011
This is astounding! Why then did Jesus die? What was that all about? What, then, is the pope's role in the world? Why have a Roman Catholic Church? Or any Churches?
The questions are legion. They range from core doctrinal issues to philosophical issues. Not the least of which is: "What Is My Conscience?"
Is my conscience a reliable spiritual guide? Does it operate independently of my mind or my spirit? Is it an independent quality or is it influenced by my heart? Can my conscience be corrupted? Should I let it lead? Is Romans, chapter one, wrong?
What about faith? Will my conscience guide me to Jesus? Is my conscience being protected from all the influences my mind and body experience? Why does the Roman Catholic Church put so much emphases on being holy? What, then, is sin? What is Catholic Confession all about? Why does the Catholic Church insist it's devotees accept [by faith?] the existence of saints? or what these saints presumably can / are doing for 'The Faithful?'
The questions just keep coming! Then there's what the last pope said! His comments on this subject were just the opposite from this one. What are we to make of that?
One Catholic man, asked this question, said the Pope was not speaking 'ex cathedra' -- that is with the authority of the church or of God, merely speaking 'off hand.' So, as a pastor, I can have one doctrine in the pulpit and another on the street, off hand? Or is it that what I say, after studying the issue and preparing the statement can be different from what I really believe?
The New Testament is filled with references to my conscience, not all of them good. What am I to make of this?
The questions just keep coming!
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