On March 29, 93-year-old Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari, atheist and publisher of La Repubblica, printed a paraphrased and unrecorded conversation he shared with Pope Francis.
Scalfari claimed the Pontiff said Hell does not exist.
The Vatican responded assuring the world Scalfari misquoted Francis. Still, the statement resulted in countless articles.
What exactly did Pope Francis say? Something along the lines of Hell, in one of its forms, being a state of non-being.
If he did say it, what would that mean for Catholicism? No need to worry, he definitely didn't say it.
Wait. This was the fifth time Pope Francis met with Scalfari. Now, there's a tidbit worth reading about more.
Francis considers Scalfari a friend.
The two men meet on occasion and, though their chats turn out controversial headlines, Pope Francis doesn't seem to mind. He continues to sit down with a non-believer and openly discuss life's big topics. He dismisses any uproar and goes about his business (Good Friday and Easter Sunday Vatican services went as planned.)
Yes, again, Pope Francis shows he cares more about kindness than headlines. He focuses on relationships rather than social media fans. I wonder, who else cared more about people than pleasing people? Oh, that's right, we just celebrated His resurrection.
Another fun part of this story, when questioned about his recollection of Pope Francis's statements, Scalfari admitted old age makes things a bit fuzzy.
Seriously. How can anyone justify outrage here? I feel pretty confident saying the Pope will not make an official statement declaring Hell imaginary. If his faith isn't threatened by an old-friend's memory-based journalism, why should anyone else's be undermined?
Contact Sarah Whitman at hillsnews@tampabay.com.
