Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
Dialogue on the Charge that Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize

Dialogue on the Charge that Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:44 pm by Dave Armstrong

Dialogue on the Charge that Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize 2017-06-03T12:44:23-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

. . . and on the Nature of Dialogue vs. (?) the Gospel; with a Traditionalist

FrancisPope4

You Tube image [Creative Commons license]

*****

This person’s words will be in blue.

*****

Wow, Dr. Kwasniewski comes off really well in that exchange. [link to my dialogue with him] Honest and noble of you to post it on your blog.

Great! I like good dialogues.

Just as well. One must dialogue to be saved:

[he linked to the article, “Pope at Mass: Those who do not dialogue disobey God”]

Jesus dialogued. That’s good enough for me.

[I linked to my paper, “Jesus’ Use of Socratic Method in His Teaching & Dialogues”]

Also, dialegomai is a good New Testament word. It is used of Paul “reasoning” or “disputing” with both Jews and Gentiles, in Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8-10. Paul says to imitate him, as he in turn imitates Christ. So I do! And Pope Francis is teaching the same thing. Nothing new here. All of this is eminently biblical.

Of course he did. Say, being the Francis fundi you are, can you point me to a sermon or homily in which Pope Francis teaches what one must do–besides dialoguing–to be saved?

I doubt the Pope wants us to dispute with those he wants us to dialogue with. Finding common ground seems more like his idea of dialogue, unlike your blogging on trads.

I’m an orthodox Catholic; not a “Francis fundi”, and St. Paul also urges us to avoid the foolish discussion, which this would be.

Finding common ground is essential for any good dialogue: going back to Socrates. With no common ground, we can’t talk constructively at all. Thus, St. Paul did this with the pagan Athenians, talking about their religiosity and taking their “unknown God” notion and using it to preach the gospel to them.

I have nothing against traditionalists. I myself am a traditionalist in many ways. I have a great deal against radical Catholic reactionaries. Learn the difference.

Thanks for the link. As an orthodox Catholic can you point me to one of the 1000-odd homilies Francis has given that addresses the topic of what one must do to be saved? Trying to help a friend out who claims he has never taught the simple “repent and be baptised” message first proclaimed by St. Peter. I find that hard to believe.

But to answer your query (“I doubt the Pope wants us to dispute with those he wants us to dialogue with”) anyway, here is Pope Francis:

In this [ecumenical] dialogue, ever friendly and sincere…[a] facile syncretism would ultimately be a totalitarian gesture on the part of those who would ignore greater values of which they are not the masters. True openness involves remaining steadfast in one’s deepest convictions, clear and joyful in one’s own identity… What is not helpful is a diplomatic openness which says ‘yes’ to everything in order to avoid problems, for this would be a way of deceiving others and denying them the good which we have been given to share generously with others. Evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed, mutually support and nourish one another. (Evangelii Gaudium 251) [source]

Christians often do not even know the core of their Catholic faith, the Creed, so as to leave room for a certain syncretism and religious relativism, without clarity on the truths to be believed and the salvific uniqueness of Christianity. The risk is not far off today of people building a so-called “do-it-yourself” religion. Instead, we should return to God, the God of Jesus Christ, we must rediscover the message of the Gospel. [source]

Or is it your contention that he doesn’t know what the gospel is, either?

We must be careful not to fall prey to conciliatory syncretism which, in the end, is empty and a harbinger of a totalitarianism without values. … This invites us, first, to return to the fundamentals. [source]

He likes apologetics, too:

[In] professional, scientific and academic circles…[we should be] developing new approaches and arguments on the issue of credibility, a creative apologetics which would encourage greater openness to the Gospel on the part of all. (Evangelii Gaudium 132) [source]

[Confirmation] gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith… to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of his Cross. [source]

[A] dialogue is not doing apologetics, although sometimes you must do so, when we are asked questions that require an explanation. [source]

You also seem to lack searching skills. You were looking for the pope’s teachings on how to be saved. This took me five seconds to find on Google: “Faith According to Pope Francis”.

I suppose the word “dispute” has the connotation of an argument. Thanks for the links, I really appreciate your effort!

I don’t suppose you can help with a link to Pope Francis preaching on what one must do to be saved (repent and convert/be baptised)? I find it hard to believe that the pope, after three years, would have neglected to call people to convert to Catholicism, especially with the global audience he has been given by the media. Let me know!

I already answered that. See the comment above yours. You need to learn to search and read on your own and not just read cynical reactionary sources. This is the problem with all the Francis-bashing.

I suspect you’re right about that! Thanks anyway. :-)

Anytime.

Sorry, one more thing–I know I’m terrible at searching through information myself, but as far as I can tell, that CWR link doesn’t actually quote Francis on what one must do to be saved. I assume you’ve read the article yourself? Please can you point out to me the section that quotes Francis on the necessity of repentance, baptism, conversion to Catholicism. I doubt that the pope would ever neglect to preach such foundational truths, but nothing less than an actual reference with quotes will satisfy my friend. I understand if you’re unable–I am too!

Your reading skills appear to be as challenged as your searching skills. Here is one passage that may possibly satisfy your requirements:

This kind of faith alone prepares us to proclaim the Good News courageously. “The most important thing is the initial proclamation,” says Francis. “‘Jesus Christ has saved you!’” Individual points of doctrine are important, but the Church’s moral edifice risks “crumbling like a house of cards” if it is not balanced and contextualized within the basic message of salvation, forgiveness, and repentance. “The Gospel proposal must be simpler, deeper, and more radiant. Moral behavior will flow from this proposal.”

Again, I suppose you could actually believe that the pope is so stupid that he doesn’t even know what the gospel is: let alone proclaim it. People manage to believe any number of ridiculous things: why not that, too?

Hmmm, I thought that’s what you were referring to. I think my friend is looking for an actual “Gospel proposal” calling people to repent and convert, not a theoretical comment on the context in which the Gospel proposal ought to be made. But I guess this is as much as we seem to have. Thanks for attempting to help. I’ll keep looking (as challenged as I am!).

What have I said against Francis by the way? I’m simply looking for a homily in which he exhorts conversion to Catholicism as a matter of salvation (as opposed to theoretical comment made about evangelisation in a private interview). It seems that you can’t help me though. :-)

How’ve I bashed the Pope? Please show me my words so that I can take them back.

*****

Meta Description: Now the amazing charge is that Pope Francis supposedly never proclaims the gospel. Anything goes, I guess.

Meta Keywords: Pope Francis, evangelization, apologetics, the gospel, how one is saved, salvation, repentance, baptism, dialogue, disputation, persuasion

Catholic Apologetics

Salvation & Justification

Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries

Previous Post

April 29, 2016

Did the Council of Trent Anathematize All Protestants?

Next Post

April 29, 2016 John Calvin Did NOT Pray to Philip Melanchthon

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz