"The Huffington Post reports that the Pope made a visit to St. Paul of the Cross parish near Rome where he interacted with children of parishioners and answered questions.
A young boy named Emanuele approached the Pope to ask a question, but then he began crying, overcome with emotion. The Pope beckoned to the boy to whisper the question in his ear. The two talked for a short time, and then Francis told the crowd that Emanuele had given him permission to share his question.
The young boy had shared with the Pope that his father had recently died, and although he was a good father and had baptized his children, he was an atheist. “Is Dad in heaven?” the worried and grieving boy asked.
“A boy that inherited the strength of his father also had the courage to cry in front of all of us,” the Pope told the crowd. “If this man was able to create children like this, it’s true that he is a good man.”
“That man did not have the [gift] of faith, wasn’t a believer. But he had his children baptized. He had a good heart,” Francis added.
The Pope acknowledged that only God knows who will be taken to heaven, but that God has “the heart of a father.” He then asked the gathered children if they thought God would condemn a good
father such as Emanuele’s, to which they enthusiastically responded “No!”
“There, Emanuele, that is the answer,” the Pope said to the boy." BCN
As for the point of an ATHEIST being saved, Paul tells us that the gentiles (non believers who haven't heard the truth) are judged by the conscience God gave them as a Law. But he also tells us most sear their conscience and won't listen to it....as for an Atheist (one who knows of God but REJECTS Him)...well......what do you think?...we are NOT saved by our good deeds. And as for the Atheist father allowing his son to be baptized, it likely was due to the mother wanting it. (we're not specifically told what role she played).
All Francis had to do was tell the boy it's in God's hands or something to that effect.
A young boy named Emanuele approached the Pope to ask a question, but then he began crying, overcome with emotion. The Pope beckoned to the boy to whisper the question in his ear. The two talked for a short time, and then Francis told the crowd that Emanuele had given him permission to share his question.
The young boy had shared with the Pope that his father had recently died, and although he was a good father and had baptized his children, he was an atheist. “Is Dad in heaven?” the worried and grieving boy asked.
“A boy that inherited the strength of his father also had the courage to cry in front of all of us,” the Pope told the crowd. “If this man was able to create children like this, it’s true that he is a good man.”
“That man did not have the [gift] of faith, wasn’t a believer. But he had his children baptized. He had a good heart,” Francis added.
The Pope acknowledged that only God knows who will be taken to heaven, but that God has “the heart of a father.” He then asked the gathered children if they thought God would condemn a good
“There, Emanuele, that is the answer,” the Pope said to the boy." BCN
Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 Timothy 4:2
Uhmmm.....set aside the heart wrenching question for the boy a moment....There is Judgment of whether one is condemned by a POLL?....the created beings watching the Judgment decide for themselves whether God made the right verdict in our cases--but they don't VOTE in the verdict...As for the point of an ATHEIST being saved, Paul tells us that the gentiles (non believers who haven't heard the truth) are judged by the conscience God gave them as a Law. But he also tells us most sear their conscience and won't listen to it....as for an Atheist (one who knows of God but REJECTS Him)...well......what do you think?...we are NOT saved by our good deeds. And as for the Atheist father allowing his son to be baptized, it likely was due to the mother wanting it. (we're not specifically told what role she played).
All Francis had to do was tell the boy it's in God's hands or something to that effect.