Pope Francis says that everyone is redeemed through Jesus, even atheists

Pope Francis surprised the religious community around the world this week by suggesting that even atheists who do good can be redeemed through Jesus.

According to The Huffington Post, Francis made the comments during his homily following Wednesday Mass in Rome. He said that an important principle that unites humanity is “doing good.” He used a story from the Gospel of Mark, in which one of Jesus’ disciples notices that people outside of their group are doing good as well, to illustrate his point.

“They complain...If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good,” the pope said, reports Vatican Radio. Jesus replied to them, “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good,” according to the pope. Jesus’ disciples believed that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” But this is wrong, the pope noted, “Jesus broadens the horizon...The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation.”

In the homily, Francis went on to explain, “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! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! 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.”

According to USA Today, many in the atheist community are seeing this statement as recognition that you do not have to believe to be moral. “We are a community that is just trying to do good and live good lives, just like most communities are,” Greg Epstein, who wrote Good Without God, told the publication. “His statement is an acknowledgment of that. It is welcome and it is gratifying.”

The statements were also a departure from what Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, believed. He had opposed secularism and nonbelievers.