Is the Pope a Christian?

Donald Trump (left) and Pope Francis

Many folks consider it sacrilege to question whether Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world's largest church, is an authentic Christian.

Why even ask that question? Because the pope recently questioned Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's faith. Why? Because if Trump's elected, he's promised to build a fence on America's southern border that would keep illegal immigrants from Central America out of the U.S. That's angered the pope.

When he was asked whether American Catholics should vote for Trump, the pope said this: 

I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not a Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.

The Bible never defines a true Christian as someone who encourages and abets illegal immigration. Nor does the word of God deny salvation and eternal life to those who build fences to keep illegal immigrants out of their nations. And yet Pope Francis claims that Trump can't be a Christian because he wants to build a border fence.

Is Donald Trump a true Christian? He claims that he is. But only God knows whether he is or not. Certainly, the pope claims to be a Christian, as do millions of people across the world. But what makes a person a true Christian, as opposed to someone who merely follows a cultural form of Christianity that mandates rituals, baptisms and works as essential for salvation and eternal life?

Let the apostle Paul explain it: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:9-14)

In his epistle to the church in Ephesus, Paul emphasized that rituals and works play no part in gaining eternal life in Jesus Christ: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Neither Pope Francis, nor his church agree with Paul. Rather, they promote a gospel that mandates a lifetime of works and sacraments that begin with baptism and end in purgatory before a person can be admitted into heaven. That's not biblical. 

The Catholic Church condemns anyone who believes that faith alone in the crucified and resurrected Christ is all that's required for eternal life. And that's despite the fact that Christ Himself revealed that salvation comes by strictly by faith alone: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) 

What does the Catholic Church teach regarding salvation? It teaches this:

If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because that he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent: Canon 14)

According to the Bible, Pope Francis isn't a true Christian. It doesn't matter what he calls himself, or what his followers call him, or what the numerous sellouts in the Protestant and Evangelical churches call him.

Unless he truly believes that salvation is a free gift from God that can only be received by faith rather than by works, then he isn't a true Christian. And neither are his followers.

If that seems radical, then consider that the scriptures were written long before the advent of the Catholic Church. And nowhere does the Bible reveal the Roman Catholic gospel. It's a false, man-made gospel that can't save anyone.

Concerning the veracity of the scriptures, the Bible says this: "Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn." (Isaiah 8:20) And that includes Pope Francis.