教宗方濟各說，無神論者也可以上天堂。個人對此新聞有高度興趣，在華盛頓郵報的報導中，個人看到教宗方濟各才選上教宗沒多久時說的話：”He remarked soon after becoming pope that even atheists can go to heaven thanks to the redemption of Jesus.”
好不容易終於看到有位教宗勇敢說出這種話，個人體量他承受到的壓力，對他十分欽佩。個人認為，教宗方濟各和個人一樣主張「善有善報」與「懲惡揚善」。但按照《聖經》十餘處的經文，只有基督宗教徒才有機會上天堂，因此教宗方濟各說了也是白說，說了也沒有用，說了以後無神論的好人還是沒機會上天堂。抱歉，就個人對《聖經》的了解，教宗方濟各貫徹他主張的唯一機會是離《經》叛教。在此就教諸位基督宗教徒。
「台灣反宗教者聯盟」陳立民 Chen Lih Ming (陳哲)
下為中英文這則新聞：
【教宗方濟各：做無神論者 好過做虛偽的教徒】
〔立場新聞 2017/2/24 — 12:53〕
教宗方濟各於周四早上的一堂彌撒中，痛斥很多教徒是偽善的雙面人，一方面會去彌撒，另一方面卻在做骯髒生意、剝削他人。他更謂成為一位無神論者，都比成為一位虛偽的天主教徒來得好。
方濟各在彌撒上發言，直斥有教徒說一套、做一套，過著雙面人的生活：「有些人會說：我是天主教徒，我經常去彌撒，我歸屬這個教會、那個團體；但我的生活卻與基督信仰相違：我沒有向工人支付合理薪酬，我剝削他人，我在做骯髒的生意，我洗黑錢……」
他炮轟不少天主教徒都是過著這樣的生活，造成不少醜聞，「我們有多少次聽到別人說：與其做這樣的天主教徒，倒不如做無神論者」。
方濟各對無神論者一向態度友善，他成為教宗後即表明，在耶穌的救贖之下，無神論者都有機會上天堂。他亦接受過一位無神論記者的採訪，明言企圖改變別人的信仰是「莊嚴廢話（solemn nonsense）」，認為每個人都要遵循善良並與邪惡鬥爭。
上則新聞網址：
【Pope suggests 'better to be atheist than hypocritical Catholic'】
〔Reuters 路透社, Thu Feb 23, 2017 | 9:49am EST〕
Pope Francis delivered another criticism of some members of his own Church on Thursday, suggesting it is better to be an atheist than one of "many" Catholics who he said lead a hypocritical double life.
In improvised comments in the sermon of his private morning Mass in his residence, he said: "It is a scandal to say one thing and do another. That is a double life."
"There are those who say 'I am very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this and that association'," the head of the 1.2 billion-member Roman Catholic Church said, according to a Vatican Radio transcript.
He said that some of these people should also say "'my life is not Christian, I don't pay my employees proper salaries, I exploit people, I do dirty business, I launder money, (I lead) a double life'."
"There are many Catholics who are like this and they cause scandal," he said. "How many times have we all heard people say 'if that person is a Catholic, it is better to be an atheist'."
Since his election in 2013, Francis has often told Catholics, both priests and lay people, to practice what their religion preaches.
In his often impromptu sermons, he has condemned sexual abuse of children by priests as being tantamount to a "Satanic Mass", said Catholics in the mafia excommunicate themselves, and told his own cardinals to not act as if they were "princes".
Less than two months after his election, he said Christians should see atheists as good people if they do good.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Louise Ireland)
上則路透社新聞網址：
【Pope Francis suggests it’s better to be an atheist than a hypocritical Catholic】
〔 Washington Post 華盛頓郵報, By Julie Zauzmer February 23 at 10:57 AM〕
On a typically busy morning at the Vatican, Pope Francis spoke at least twice on Thursday in ways that recognized the values of other religious outlooks while he promoted the faithful practice of Catholicism.
The subject of Francis’s homily at the daily Mass was hypocrisy. He criticized the “scandal” of “saying one thing and doing another.”
Many of these hypocrites, Francis implied, according to the Vatican’s text of his homily, are Catholics who act rigorously in their ritual observance but don’t apply the religion’s values to their lives. “A totally double life: ‘I am very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this association and that one; but my life is not Christian, I don’t pay my workers a just wage, I exploit people, I am dirty in my business, I launder money …’ A double life. And so many Christians are like this, and these people scandalize others.”
He then quoted a sentiment that he said he has heard expressed repeatedly: “But to be a Catholic like that, it’s better to be an atheist.”
Francis has surprised Catholics before with his warmth toward atheists. He remarked soon after becoming pope that even atheists can go to heaven thanks to the redemption of Jesus. He granted an interview to an atheist journalist, and told the reporter that efforts to convert people to Christianity are “solemn nonsense” and each person “must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them.”
He has also been friendly toward Jews, particularly through his longtime friend, Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka. On Thursday, Skorka led a group of rabbis to the Vatican, where they gave Francis a new edition of the Torah.
Looking at the text of the five books of Moses, the most holy books for Jews as well as a key part of the Christian Old Testament, Francis called the Torah “the Lord’s gift, his revelation, his word,” according to the Vatican’s text of his remarks.
He said that the Torah “manifests the paternal and visceral love of God, a love shown in words and concrete gestures, a love that becomes covenant.”
The Vatican has been open about trying to move beyond its anti-Semitic past for many years; Pope John Paul II spoke in a synagogue, visited concentration camps and officially apologized for the church’s lack of action during the Holocaust. On Thursday, Francis described dialogue between Christians and Jews today as “ongoing and collaborative.”
上則新聞網址：
教宗聖方濟接受一位無神論記者的專訪新聞，見網址：
“The Pope: how the Church will change” 新聞，見網址：
http://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2013/10/01/news/pope_s_conversation_with_scalfari_english-67643118/
“Pope Francis identifies with regular Catholics” 新聞，見網址：
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-identifies-with-regular-catholics/2013/09/19/042d1b18-2186-11e3-a358-1144dee636dd_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.ef5c19407561
