Is The Pope Now Fallible ?

The catholic church has created a rather interesting dilemma for itself. One of two basic doctrines of the church has to be wrong. The church has taught for more than a thousand years that a person cannot go to heaven unless they are a member of the "true" church (the catholic church), and it has also taught that the pope is infallible (since his words are deemed to have come straight from god) and cannot be wrong. This dilemma was created by words uttered by the pope on May 22nd as he spoke at a catholic mass.

The pope was trying to make a statement about good works -- and he said that it is good works that gets a person to heaven, even if they are not a member of the catholic church. Here are those words:

The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!

We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.

That's a pretty clear statement. Even an atheist can get to heaven -- not by changing his/her views and joining the church, but by doing good in the world. Now this statement didn't mean much to atheists beyond being a bit amused by it. Atheists do good because it is the right and moral thing to do -- not because it might get them to a place after they die that they don't even believe exists. But it certainly upset a lot of catholics, especially high-ranking catholics whose existence depends on telling people they cannot go to heaven without paying the proper respect for the church (and its officials).

Now one of those two church beliefs is wrong. Either the pope is not fallible anymore (since he was wrong when he said atheists could get to heaven), or the church teaching that only members of the church can get to heaven is wrong. Both cannot be true now.

And it looks like the high officials in the Vatican have made their choice. Vatican spokesman Thomas Rosica the next day (May 23rd) "clarified" the issue. He said that anyone who knows of the catholic church "cannot be saved" if they "refuse to enter her or remain in her". In plain English, that means the pope was wrong and atheists cannot go to heaven. The pope, according to other high catholic officials, is no longer infallible.

Even though I'm an atheist, I find that very interesting. I'm just a bit amused that it took them over a thousand years to figure that out.

Just Kidding

X-Mas Cards From Heaven

Thirty-four people received handwritten and signed christmas cards from Chet Fitch of Oregon. That wouldn't be unusual, except that the 88 year-old man died last October and the return address on the envelopes was "Heaven".

The cards pictured Mr. Fitch square-dancing with his wife (who died in 1995), and the hand-writing inside said:

"I asked Big Guy if I could sneak back and send some cards. At first he said no; but at my insistence he finally said 'Oh well, what the heaven, go ahead but don't [tarry] there.' Better get back as Big Guy said he stretched a point to let me in the first time, so I had better not press my luck. I'll probably be seeing you (some sooner than you think). Wishing you a very Merry Christmas."

Turns out the cards were written by Mr. Fitch, but not from heaven. Evidently, he enjoyed playing tricks on his friends, and he'd been planning this one with his barber since 1987. He told the barber a week before he died that it looked like this would be the year to mail the cards.

Fitch's daughter said the card was "sweet and funny. So much like him".