8.164. Pope Francis told youth in Singapore that all paths—Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam—lead to God. Isn't that a beautiful and inclusive message?
In September 2024, during his visit to Asia, Antipope Francis told a group of young people in Singapore—many of whom were not Catholic—that “all paths lead to God,” including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. He encouraged them to “journey together,” regardless of their religion, and praised their desire to “live their faiths with authenticity.”
At first glance, such words may appear compassionate and unifying. But in truth, this statement is a direct contradiction of Catholic doctrine, particularly the dogma that outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation (Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus). The notion that all religions are equally valid paths to God is a heresy called religious indifferentism, solemnly condemned by popes like Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius XI, and Pius XII.
This dangerous idea was introduced at Vatican II in documents like Nostra Aetate and Lumen Gentium, which claimed that other religions “reflect a ray of truth” and may be “means of salvation.” Francis merely takes these errors to their logical conclusion, declaring openly that false religions are valid ways to reach God, without repentance, without conversion, and without Christ.
But Scripture says the opposite:
“No man cometh to the Father, but by Me.”
“There is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.”
The Catholic Church exists to call all men—Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and others—out of error and into the one true Faith. To suggest otherwise is not charity—it is spiritual betrayal.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Francis / Vatican II View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvation | Only through the Catholic Church, by grace, faith, and baptism | Available in all religions if one is sincere | This is universalism and contradicts dogmatic teaching |
| False Religions | Gravely erroneous and incapable of pleasing God | Valid paths to God; all religions are “willed by God” | Directly contradicts *Mortalium Animos* (Pius XI) |
| Evangelization | Convert all nations to the one true Faith | Accompany, listen, and affirm non-Catholic religions | Neglects the salvation of souls and the missionary mandate |
| Message to Non-Catholics | Call to conversion and union with Christ’s Church | Stay in your religion and live it authentically | This is a betrayal of the Gospel |
| View of Unity | True unity only in Catholic faith and sacraments | Unity found in “journeying together” with mutual respect | False unity without truth is a path to damnation |
| Fruits | Conversions, martyrdom, missionary zeal | Indifference, confusion, apostasy | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
When Francis tells young people that all religions lead to God, he is not proclaiming the Gospel—he is promoting apostasy. This is the fruit of Vatican II’s false ecumenism, where the one true Faith is replaced by dialogue, and the Church’s missionary mandate is replaced by humanism.
True Catholic charity calls souls out of false religions, not to remain in them. To tell a young Hindu or Buddhist that they’re on the right path is to confirm them in spiritual darkness, and to deny Christ Himself.
As Pope Leo XIII taught:
“To hold that one religion is as good as another... is the most dangerous error.”
Let us pray for those misled by these lies—and remain faithful to the unchanging truth that salvation is found in Christ alone, through His one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.
Further reading:
Humanum Genus (On Freemasonry) by Pope Leo XIII (1884)