Pope Francis assures atheists: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven

Pope Francis assures atheists: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven  

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 dusty 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?”

For those of you that are reading this, I don't mean to offend you.  All we know about God is in the Bible.  The Bible very clearly states. Matthew 12:31-32: “And I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” The Catholic dogma of the infallibility of the Pope just got shattered. 

"The word itself means exactly what the dictionary tells us, “incapability of error or deception.”  Interestingly enough, no person on the face of the earth, except the Vicar of Christ, would dare insist on such a prerogative of office, and get away with it. Non-Catholics are constrained by force of truth to reverence the man who claims to speak for Jesus Christ on earth, whether they accept his authority or not. No matter how great a leader, in his own realm, the head of any false religion might be, he would be laughed to scorn if he ever had the audacity to claim that his solemn words were guaranteed protection from error by God Himself. The head of the Roman Catholic Church maintains such; and he is not laughed to scorn, though he is hated by many; rather, he is treated quite seriously wherever he goes.  And no matter how proud certain heads of state might be, they suddenly become a little less sure of themselves when awaiting a papal audience in the Vatican. The atmosphere of authority, a divine atmosphere, is overwhelming, as many non-Catholics have testified." - The Infallibility of the Pope — Basic Facts About an Essential Dogma: Catholicism

So, we have the Pope directly opposing the words of Christ in  Mathew:12.  Who do you believe?