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?

I'm more concerned about his association with covering up child abuse claims in his time in Peru. But to be fair it's probably impossible to find a senior catholic who hasn't done the same.

All these Pope threads lately are quite amusing in that they are rather 🦇 💩
Leo is a popeular topic of conversation.

Why would people without faith be that bothered by what the Pope, leader of an international church, had to say? It is meaningless to them.

All the atheists I've known (lots) wouldn't have had hurt feelings.

If you have a massive platform and you want to make a message about faith, morals and the teachings of Jesus, then here's a few to get started.

Jesus said love thy neighbour
Treat others as you would expect to be treated.
I am reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan.
Turn the other cheek.

So many possible ways to remind people who do claim to have faith "What Jesus said" and how Jesus said others should live their lives.

The Bishop got described as " “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” by Trump because she dared to talk about the message of Jesus.

Bernice King, daughter of the civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr and the CEO of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, said that the sermon was “an appeal to his humanity and an appeal on behalf of humanity”.

Austen Ivereigh, a biographer of Pope Francis, wrote on social media that Budde spoke with “apostolic courage” to Trump and JD Vance.
“She named the truth their policies deny,” Ivereigh said. “Their expressions of fury and discomfort suggest she nailed it.”

The Rev Caitlin Frazier, the assistant rector at St Mark’s Episcopal church on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, said in a statement that she was “proud to hear Bishop Budde speak the truths that Jesus calls us to speak”.
“We are commanded to love our neighbor: our trans neighbor, our immigrant neighbor, our neighbors in public office,” Frazier said. “Her plea for mercy met this moment in American history. I pray that it will be received, although I fear it was not.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/22/trump-bishop-mariann-edgar-budde

Everyone is interested in what the new leader of the Catholic church has to say because of the direct and indirect power the church holds throughout the world. Crazy not to be interested really.

Haha. When was this?

We live in an interconnected world so the pronouncements of religious leaders can have an effect on those who are not followers too.

The head of the Catholic Church: espouses the tenets of his faith

Self absorbed atheist on MN: shocked pikachu face

Bonkers.

I'm going to quote the OP (sorry folks) because I can't be arsed to type the whole thing out.

The irony is that for millennia, wars have been fought across the world, and millions have died because of religion, not the absence of it.

I’m an atheist.

I don’t interpret Pope Leo’s words “A lack of faith” as a lack of religion, but as a lack of hope. We all need to have hope in this world whatever your religion, circumstances and background.

Well I am sure that if God does exist, and that if there is a Heaven where you get judged on your moral life, some people who thought that being religious would get them in are going to be disappointed.

But he's the Pope, what do people expect him to say?

I've said upthread that belief or lack of it is no indicator of moral character. I truly believe and know that in my heart.

But he's the Pope. Are people expecting him to say "Well, atheism is fine". Of course he won't.

Quite a few people on this thread might benefit from reading Tom Holland's Dominion. All the values you seem to think are instinctive humanist ones are very much the product of Christianity. It has taught us our 'ethics and morals'.

The Pope is the earthly head of a 2000 year old institution that has survived governments, monarchies and empires. But you think it should change to accomodate what you, at this one point in time, think is important - weird.

“I’m happy to have the top job but just to be clear I do think this is all a waste of time.”

Yyyyyeaaaahhhh, what you said he said, is not what he said. You are doing the boring thing where you "translate" a religious person's words into whatever ragebait you are interested in today. If he meant "atheists have no moral compass and have a God-shaped hole at their core," he could have said, "atheists have no moral compass and have a God-shaped hole at their core."

Is the Pope catholic?

Atheist offended by the pope 😂😳 Heard it all now.

Here's the whole sermon so people can get context

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263981/full-text-pope-leo-xiv-s-homily-at-mass-with-the-cardinal-electors-in-the-sistine-chapel

An edited part

Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.

These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed.

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.

Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.

This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).

It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion. Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1).

...............................

If you are an atheist why does it matter to you what the Pope thinks? It shouldn't. 🤔

Really...

Can you give some examples of Christian morals - because many Christians in power over the last 1000 years certainly haven't had much morality.

For what it's worth I often wonder what Pope #1, Peter, a little educated Galilean 1st century CE fisherman would make of all this now, the Vatican, the Cardinals, the whole thing. Bewilderment I think, but it doesn't just apply to the RC at all.

That was supposedly the title of one of Mel Gibson's father's Opus Dieu-inspired polemics back in the day.

I don't have a problem with what he said.

Just trying to counter the many people who are arguing 'but you are an atheist - what did you care what the pope says'.

Thanks for that.

He's a powerful world leader with power and influence.

A message that people who lack faith are also the kind of people who are more likely to be involved in the appalling violations of human dignity and other wounds that afflict our society is a message from a powerful world leader that deserves a response.