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  • 2017-02-28 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Pope Francis Say It Was Better to Be an Atheist Than a Bad Catholic? (en)
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  • In February 2017, several reputable news organizations reported on a homily that Pope Francis had delivered in Rome. These stories were published with headlines indicating that the Pope had suggested that it was better to be an atheist than a bad Christian or hypocritical Catholic: As this news filtered down to less reputable web sites, what was previously reported as something the Pope had suggested was presented as a direct quote: The above-quoted statements are all paraphrases of something Pope Francis said during a homily in Rome on 23 February 2017, as he was speaking those who identify as a Christian but don't follow the tenets of their faith: This translation, provided by the Vatican Radio, makes it clear that the Pope didn't directly say that it was better to be an atheist than a bad (or greedy or hypocritical) Catholic or Christian. Rather, the Pope was repeating a common phrase commenting on Catholics who conduct their lives in ways contrary to their faith. Vatican Radio also elaborated on the message of the Pope's homily as follows: CNN noted that the Pope's homily came in response to Thursday's mass reading which included the following passage from the Gospel of Mark: (en)
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