Is the Pope Catholic?

In a recent "60 Minutes" interview, Pope Francis made remarks that caused both Catholics and Protestants alike to question his allegiance to Catholic teaching and biblical worldview.

The shocking interview, which covered a variety of topics, such as the Ukraine and Russia war, U.S. immigration policy and antisemitism, exposed the Pope’s radical perspectives on doctrines that have long been cornerstones of Catholic theology, including Saint Augustine’s teaching on original sin and the Catholic Church’s stance on traditional marriage.

His comments have left many wondering, not only whether the Pope is truly Catholic, but whether he’s even a Christian at all.

Pope Francis, known for his progressive leanings and ties to Karl Marx-inspired liberation theology, seems to be more comfortable with pushing the doctrinal envelope further than any of his predecessors have in the past.

On original sin, he stated, “people are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart is good.” His position completely contradicts dozens of Scripture verses, including Romans 3:9-12: “What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.”

A universal recognition of human depravity, or what Saint Augustine first called “original sin,” has been a pillar of early Church teachings. It holds that man is conceived in a fallen state and sinful from birth, necessitating divine salvation (through faith in Christ) as the only means of escaping eternal judgment. At best, Pope Francis seems to reject church doctrine on the issue, and his answer echoes the early heretical views of Pelagius. At worst, he introduces a universalist religious syncretism to the papacy by disregarding 2,000 years of Christian orthodoxy.

This isn't the first time Francis has steered the papal ship through progressive waters. In 2013, when asked about homosexuality, Francis offered a nonchalant, “Who am I to judge?” Later, in 2015, Francis released an activist letter, “Laudato Si,” calling for a radical global dialogue on environmentalism that would make even Greta Thunberg proud.

Then in 2019, the Pope co-signed a document with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, entitled “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” which states that religious pluralism is “willed by God,” despite scriptural evidence to the contrary, such as Paul instructed in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

While Francis’s apologists suggest he’s helping the Church to reimagine, restore and recover forgotten Catholic tradition, true Christ followers see his tenure as a departure of fundamental principles, primary doctrine and cross-centered teachings.

The question "Is the Pope Catholic?" might once have seemed redundant, yet now it provokes a genuine inquiry into Francis’s Christian faith. In light of the Catholic Church's teaching of papal supremacy, which allows virtually no path to remove a rogue Pope involuntarily, Catholics remain in a very uncomfortable position, forced to choose between a progressive activist Pope and an allegiance to Christ’s teachings.

For Christians outside of the Catholic Church, all we can do is offer our prayers that internal reforms will help guide the Church back to biblical orthodoxy.