Vatican Debunks Circulating Pope Quotes Regarding Islam and Christianity

Pope Francis
Pope Francis (photo: Pixabay)
By Mei ManuelJanuary 5th, 2017

This week, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke spoke The Associated Press that the quotes allegedly said by Pope Francis which are published on various websites which dates back since 2015 are "invented" and false.

Several articles have been posted online that quote the pontiff as saying that Jesus and Muhammad are essentially "the same" entities across the globe. In the quote, it states, "Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Jehovah, Allah. These are all names employed to describe an entity that is distinctly the same across the world. For centuries, blood has been needlessly shed because of the desire to segregate our faiths."

The false quotes are said to be from a fake article written by website NationalReport.net, which has also authored other false headlines like "Vladimir Putin will Sing at Donald Trump's Inaguration, Sources Say" and many others.

In the article, the website falsely quotes the pope as saying that "we can accomplish miraculous things in the world by merging our faiths, and the time for such a movement is now."

The first paragraph of the fake story had also said, "During his hour-long speech, a smiling Pope Francis was quoted telling the Vatican's guest that the Koran, and the spiritual teachings contained therein, are just as valid as the Holy Bible."

The false pope quotes made by the website is not the only one circulating in the net. In 2014, a meme circulated online allegedly quoting the Pope as saying that believing in God is not required to be a good person.

"It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money  -- for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history do not believe in God, while some of the worst deeds were done in His name."

CNA reported that the quote in the meme is not supported by any official text or statement issued by the Pope. Snopes.com, known for their factchecking, has also said that the meme was "false."

There had been an issue once in 2013 which got some Catholics to question Pope Francis' homily where he said that atheists could achieve redemption through good deeds. A Vatican spokesperson who translates his remarks in English clarified that the Pope meant to suggest that "those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ and his Church but sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try to do his will as it is known through the dictates of conscience can attain eternal salvation."

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