I want to ask you a question and then I want to do an informal survey here. The question is, “Are all religions a path to heaven?” Raise your hand if you believe this. OK, how many do not think all religions are a path to heaven? Raise your hand. So, more think all religions are a path to heaven. Did anyone hear what the Pope said about this recently? Or, am I too churchy and just read all this stuff? (laughter) People have been messaging me and calling me and getting a little panicked about something that the Pope said recently. I want to read to you what he actually said, but then talk about what we really believe.
He was speaking to young people in Singapore. Singapore is a country where there is only about three percent who are Catholic. He was speaking to them and this is what he said: “One of the things that impressed me most about you young people is that you are able to have inter-faith dialogue. This is very important, because if you start arguing, ‘My religion is more important than yours, or mine is true, and yours is not,’ where does that lead?” Somebody from the crowd answered and said, “Destruction.” That is correct said the Pope, “All religions are paths to God. I will use an analogy. There are different languages that express the Divine, but God is for everyone, and therefore we are all God’s children. ‘But, my God is more important than yours?’ Is this true? There is only one God. All religions are like languages, paths to reach to God, some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian, understood. Yet interfaith dialogue among young people takes courage. The age of youth is the age of courage, but you can misuse this courage to do things that will not help you. Instead, you should have courage to move forward and to dialogue.”
Are all religions paths to God? I hate to tell you, but the answer is, no. Not all religions are paths to God. I want to talk about a couple teachings of the Church. First of all, how many believe that the Pope is infallible? Raise your hand if you believe this. How many do not believe that the Pope is infallible?
The Pope is not infallible. I think that’s one of the things that non-Christians or non-Catholics get upset with Catholics is that they think the Pope is infallible. It’s important that we understand that the Pope himself, is not infallible. What that means is that he can make mistakes. You have probably realized by now that your Pastor is not infallible. Right? I can make mistakes. But the Pope can speak infallibly when he does so re-affirming the teachings of our Catholic Faith, from the throne of Peter. The Pope can speak infallibly.
Now the Pope has only done so twice in history. Once is when he proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He spoke infallibly from the throne with all the Bishops. The other time was the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. He spoke infallibly. So, he’s only spoken infallibly twice. That is an intentional thing that he’s doing from the Throne of Peter with the College of Bishops.
Why are not all religions paths to God? It’s actually kind of evident. Some religions clearly are paths to God. Satanism is a religion. Is that a path to God? Absolutely not, right? So, what the Pope said needs to be nuanced. It’s important to understand that he doesn’t always speak infallibly. It’s important for us to know this because we can be scandalized by that. A number of Catholics have approached me really upset by this because if all religions are paths to God, what’s the point of ours? Why be Catholic? Why follow Jesus? Jesus said, “Unless you come to me you cannot go to the Father. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life within you; I am the way and the truth and the life.” Can we see that Jesus is the path to the Father and unless this path leads to Jesus the path doesn’t lead to God.
I’m going to nuance this a little more because this is what the readings deal with. In the first reading, the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses and He sent His Holy SpIrit on these 70 elders. He poured out his spirit and they began to prophesie. But there were two men outside of the camp who were on the list, and all of a sudden, they began to prophesie. When the young man told Moses what happened, that Eldad and Medad are prophesying, Moses said, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would not that all people be prophets.” Moses is realizing that the Spirit has a way of working, even outside of what the ordinary is.
We hear in the Gospel too, there’s non-disciples that are driving out demons in the name of Jesus and the disciples are getting upset. They’re like, ‘hey, we’re your disciples and these guys are driving out demons in your name.’ Well, the same is true here, Jesus says, “Do not prevent them for anyone who calls out my name is a disciple.” Again, He’s helping us realize that the Holy Spirit does work, even outside of our Church.
It is important to realize that salvation is through the Catholic Church. Why do we say that? Why do we believe that? We believe there is no salvation outside of Jesus, right? The whole reason Jesus came to earth was because humanity was getting it wrong; we were not following the way God wanted us to and he wanted to show us the way. So, He began to gather these disciples, but He would suffer, He would die, He would rise, ascend to Heaven and then He would send His Holy Spirit onto the Church and the Church would become His living body here on earth. We are the body of Christ and salvation only comes by coming to know Jesus and to follow Jesus.
The Church is the way to salvation. Can the Holy Spirit work outside of the Church? The answer is yes, because anytime anyone is being drawn toward God, anytime someone is being drawn toward the faith of the Church, the Holy Spirit is already working, bringing them to Christ. Our Church, our teaching is important, and we’re called to evangelize, we’re called to go out all the nations and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. If all the nations are paths to God, we don’t really need to evangelize, but the truth is, we do need to evangelize so that people can come to know Jesus, fall in love with Jesus, give their lives to Jesus, and experience Heaven right here on earth. We then realize that the Spirit works sometimes despite us, that the Holy Spirit has its ways. The Holy Spirit blows how it wills, we know not how. So, the Holy Spirit is at work, but what the Church would teach is that, in these other phases, whatever is true, if there is any seed of faith, if there’s any ray of light, that’s the Holy Spirit working.
The Holy Spirit is always working to bring people towards Jesus. The Holy Spirit is working to bring people through Jesus to our Father. Just as Pope Francis was encouraging these young children to dialogue, it’s important that we do as well. It’s important that we know our faith, that we know Jesus and that we truly are his disciples that go out to all the world so that people can know Him, love Him and be saved by Him.
Watch as Fr Stefano Penna explains the Catholic position on other religions. He will also discuss what is problematic with the Pope’s statement that “All religions are paths to God” at an interfaith gathering in Singapore on September 14.
