Pope Francis strays from doctrine … again

What did Pope Francis say now? It’s an evergreen question, but the latest answer is bad even for Francis. On a three-day trip to Singapore, the pope improvised on a prepared script while addressing an interreligious group of young people at Catholic Junior College. Monsignor Christopher Washington translated Francis’ remarks live from Italian to English. After praising those in the audience for their ability to engage in interfaith dialogue, the pope elaborated that “this is very important, because if we start to fight amongst ourselves and saying ‘My religion is more important than yours, my religion is true yours is not,’ where will that lead us?” In the full video, you can see him pause and smile, trying to prompt a response. The young people smiled back and gave a thumbs down.

It gets worse: The pontiff continued to explain that “every religion is a way to arrive at God,” making an analogy to “different languages.” Once again, he mocked the idea of saying “My God is more important than your God,” because “there’s only one God,” and each of us has a “language” to reach Him. “Some are Sikh, some Muslim, Hindu, Christian,” he continued. “And they are all paths to God.”

The backlash from conservative Roman Catholics has been swift and sharp. Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland, who was fired for criticizing the pope’s progressive reforms, posted on X that Catholics should pray for Francis “to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way.” He continued soberly, “If we deny Christ, He will deny us.” LifeSiteNews editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen released a fiery video accusing the pope of spouting “heresy that flies in the face of Jesus Christ” and encouraging conservative Catholics to make reparation. Philosopher Edward Feser has compared Francis to Pope Honorius, condemned by successors and multiple councils for aiding and abetting heresy. The difference is that Francis is even worse. Feser asked facetiously whether these alleged “many paths to God” could include traditionalist Catholicism, the Society of Saint Pius X, or sedevacantism, which believes the papacy is currently vacant. If the pope is so expansively generous, we can expect him and his followers to stop hounding Catholics to his right—right?

But other Catholics believe this is all a tempest in a teapot. At Catholic World Report, Christopher Altieri said Pope Francis has “put himself in pretty good company,” including G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis. Lewis indeed played with what one might call a “soft inclusivist” stance in the fate of his Narnia character Emeth, a young Calormene who spends his life following Tash only to discover Aslan waiting for him in paradise. But this was controversial even in Lewis’ time. Pope Francis’ comments go much further, saying we can’t even frame Christianity as “true” while other religions are false.

However, there is precedent in post–Vatican II Catholicism for the idea that one could be an “anonymous Christian,” in the words of Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner, even if one heard and rejected the gospel. Bishop Robert Barron, widely considered one of the more conservative Catholic apologists on the scene, presented this view in a much-criticized discussion with Ben Shapiro. When Shapiro bluntly asked whether his situation was hopeless as a practicing Jew who rejects Jesus, Barron immediately said no, as long as Shapiro followed his “conscience.” The proper response to Shapiro is the proper response to all Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and followers of other faiths: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today and be saved.

Of course, Bishop Barron isn’t the pope, meaning that the entire Roman Catholic Church isn’t on tenterhooks waiting to analyze his every utterance. With each passing day, Pope Francis places devout conservative Catholics in an increasingly agonizing position. One Catholic told me she believed God would miraculously stop him from saying anything heretical ex cathedra—that is, “from the chair,” delivering a public word intended as binding doctrine. So far, conservative Catholics have consoled themselves that the pope’s most egregious statements have been delivered in off-the-cuff contexts like this meeting in Singapore. But how long will that last?

Protestants shouldn’t gloat over their Catholic friends’ predicament, but they also shouldn’t shy from making the case—as we have for more than 500 years—that the peace and purity of Christ’s Church does not hang on the official pronouncements of a single, fallible clergyman. Popes rise, and popes fall. But there is only one High Priest whose judgment is faultless, and only one Shepherd whose guidance is ever sure.