Sigh. Pope Leo’s first sermon…

[CurlewKate]

“"A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,"

I don’t know why I expected anything different. Maybe because he likes Wordle?

And the Vatican main headline

"The morning after being elected the 267th Pope, Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with the Cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel, reminding them that "we are to bear witness to our joyful faith in Christ" while warning that where faith is lacking, life loses meaning."

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/pope-leo-xiv-homily-faith-college-cardinals-sistine-chapel.html

And that's the actual Vatican's interpretation.

So? Vatican thinks that Catholicism is better than both atheism and other forms of religion and Christianity is hardly groundbreaking news, is it?

You seem to think that it's a surprising or something that atheists should be offended by.

I mean, wait till you hear about the fact that many, many people think that atheists are going to hell.

He keeps saying ‘we’ and ‘us’ and ‘our’ so he’s talking to fellow Catholics. If you are not Catholic (and I am not) then you are not part of that ‘we’ and ‘us’ and ‘our’.

So why do you keep thinking he’s talking to
you?

So you agree now that the sermon was not about people in those settings where people who pursue money and power but was basically saying that all people who lack faith often have a loss of meaning in life, neglect mercy and commit other wounds that afflict our society?

Lack of faith accompanied by lack of meaning in life

"A lack of faith," Pope Leo underscored, "is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society."

Today, he observed, "there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman."
Acknowledging this happens "not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians," Pope Leo warned that, as such, they "end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism."

What’s a practical atheist? I’m quite good at DIY and am excellent in a crisis-does that count?

I have absolutely no problem with him thinking Catholics are best. That’s his job.

He's talking to fellow Catholics about people who lack faith and the problems that he feels a lack of faith brings.

No, I'm saying that the Vatican précis of what he said doesn't trump my own interpretation from reading the actual translation of what he said.

And also, I don't give a shit if he thinks that catholics are better than atheists, he's the actual pope, of course he does.

was basically saying that all people who lack faith often have a loss of meaning in life

No, read back what you quoted. He never said ALL. He said it’s ‘OFTEN’ accompanied by a loss of meaning.

He also says even Christians experience this.

And you are not the intended audience.

If there is no meaning in having gold/ being rich, then maybe he can sell off some of the stash displayed in the Vatican and Catholic Churches around the world to help the poor.

So the Vatican precis of what he is saying doesn't trump your interpretation?

Maybe there's a lesson the Pope needs to learn in making his sermons less likely to be misinterpreted.

But what his words say affect how they view others.
And that matters when he has a massive audience and 1.4 billion followers.

Interesting that you think Catholic followers have pored over his words with any sort of the scrutiny that you have. Or that you think that the message that those who substitute faith for obsession with power, wealth and technology cause problems for the world is any sort of revelation to them. Or that they should be disturbed that the pope thinks that Catholicism is a good thing and that those who aren’t Catholic are lacking.

So what do you think Catholics are going to do to Atheists as a result of this groundbreaking speech where a faith leader, for apparently the first time ever has said that he thinks having faith is a good thing and that not having faith could lead to a lack of direction?

He didn’t say lack of faith could lead to lack of direction. That’s a perfectly reasonable thing to say. He said that a lack of faith is “often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society”

I mean, come ON!!!!

Catholics: “yeah, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, standard popery”

Atheist: Waah he insulted me.

As we just agreed, that's not the message that the Vatican have put on it. That's your interpretation.

And who knows how they will interpret that and what impact it has. It just seeks to reinforce a view of people who are "other".

He is just reinforcing a view that (some) religious people have that people who don't have faith are often the kind of people who cause a lot of the moral decay in the world with their behaviours.

"A lack of faith"

As the Vatican said.

The catholic church loves money and power. They exclude women, abuse or turn a mostly blind eye to child abuse. People are just pointing out the hypocrisy of that speech and his words.

One person’s moral decay is another person’s progress of society.

That’s not what people are saying. As I think you know well.

He doesnt really need to do anything to take into account anything does he. He is in charge and gods right hand man in the catholic world.

Exactly, most religious people will just nod along and think 'yeah, lack of faith is a bad thing'

And then get on with their day.

No, the OP specifically said that her issue was “I hoped he would not do the boring “atheists have no moral compass and have a God shaped hole at their core” routine. Very many religious people don’t do that. And I hoped he wouldn’t suggest that that atheists have no mercy and commit appalling violations of human dignity.very many religious people don’t do that either.”

He was talking about people who substitute faith for a love of money and power, and the contexts where people despise and ridicule religion when he made that comment.

I think digging into it and saying he was specifically saying ‘atheists have no mercy’ is just looking for offence.