READ: Did Pope Francis really say hell is not real but ‘merely a metaphor’?

 

This post (excerpted below) from Diversity Chronicle Blog  from December 5, 2013 has been circulated.

POPE FRANCIS CONDEMNS RACISM AND DECLARES THAT “ALL RELIGIONS ARE TRUE” AT HISTORIC THIRD VATICAN COUNCIL
Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God” Pope Francis declared.
In a speech that shocked many, the Pope claimed “All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? In the past, the church has been harsh on those it deemed morally wrong or sinful. Today, we no longer judge. Like a loving father, we never condemn our children. Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice! For conservatives and liberals, even communists are welcome and have joined us. We all love and worship the same God.”
One statement in the Pope’s speech has sent traditionalists into a fit of confusion and hysteria. “God is changing and evolving as we are, For God lives in us and in our hearts. When we spread love and kindness in the world, we touch our own divinity and recognize it. The Bible is a beautiful holy book, but like all great and ancient works, some passages are outdated. Some even call for intolerance or judgement. The time has come to see these verses as later interpolations, contrary to the message of love and truth, which otherwise radiates through scripture. In accordance with our new understanding, we will begin to ordain women as cardinals, bishops and priests. In the future, it is my hope that we will have a woman pope one day. Let no door be closed to women that is open to men!”

Wow, at last, Sanity from the Vatican.
Yes!, Yes! Yes!
Confirmation of what we all that know to be true & the Vatican will lead the way in our Brave New World. How wonderful is that? Finally a religious leader we can actually believe will unite people in a common goal of peace and justice.
(OMG, am I describing a Messiah?)
oh wait
Snopes.com  has a report on it from December 22, 2013.

Shortly afterwards links and excerpts referencing this article were being circulated via social media, with many of those who encountered the item mistaking it for a genuine news item. However, the article was just a spoof: No Third Vatican Council has been convened (the Second Vatican Council took place in the early 1960s), and the blog that published this item, the Diversity Chronicle includes a disclaimer noting that “The original content on this blog is largely satirical.”

Yes, the first paragraph of the Diversity Blog post does mention a Third Vatican Coucil:

For the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in Vatican City, discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas. The Third Vatican Council, is undoubtedly the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962. Pope Francis convened the new council to “finally finish the work of the Second Vatican Council.” While some traditionalists and conservative reactionaries on the far right have decried these efforts, they have delighted progressives around the world.

Easy to glance over. And so many have, including me.
Why? Because we want so much for a Sane Leader. We want someone in charge to really believes and preaches the truth: We are all human beings who are capable of making our own Individual Choices. We deserve the education which will give us the tools to make the best decisions. We share this world with ALL that live upon it. We must work together or we will destroy each other and damage this world. There is an incredible amount of genuine wonder and awe available, we need to stop fighting about who’s god is better.
Yeah, well, not this Pope.
You do not need to take my word for it. The Vatican has a state-of-the-art website . It is interesting to compare what we think we know about the Church and the Vatican with what is actually published on this site. It is immense.
You can read the Pope’s speeches here.
The Pope is on Twitter!
Did you notice the DISCLAIMER  at the top of Diversity Chronicle? Yeah, neither did I.