8.151. Didn’t John Paul II say every religion expresses the human heart reaching for the divine? Isn’t that a beautiful way to see truth in all faiths?
Yes—on October 27, 1986, at the infamous Assisi Prayer Meeting, John Paul II stated:
“Every religion is an expression of the human heart reaching out to the divine.”
This statement was made while gathering leaders from over a dozen false religions, including pagans, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others, to pray publicly alongside one another—a scandal never before witnessed in the history of the Church.
While the language sounds poetic and inclusive, it is blasphemous and heretical. It directly contradicts divine revelation and the entire Catholic tradition by implying that all religions—even those that deny Christ—are valid responses to God. It gives the impression that error and idolatry are legitimate ways to seek the true God, and that false worship is somehow pleasing to Him.
But the Catholic Church has always taught that there is only one true Faith, and that false religions are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, but by the spirit of error, confusion, or even demonic deception. Any "reaching out" that denies Christ, the Trinity, or the Catholic Church is not a noble expression—it is a grievous sin against the First Commandment.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Vatican II / John Paul II View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of False Religions | Errors and idols that lead souls away from God | Expressions of sincere human longing for God | False religions are not paths to God but deviations from Him |
| Worship Outside the Church | Objectively false, displeasing to God, often idolatrous | Praised as meaningful spiritual efforts | Contradicts the First Commandment and the Gospel |
| Interreligious Prayer | Forbidden; scandalous cooperation in false worship | Encouraged and practiced at events like Assisi | Publicly denies the uniqueness of the Catholic Faith |
| Evangelization | Convert all non-Catholics to the one true Faith | “Dialogue” and mutual respect, no call to conversion | Destroys missionary zeal and endangers souls |
| Fruits | Martyrs, conversions, Church growth, sanctity | Indifferentism, religious relativism, apostasy | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
The statement by John Paul II that “every religion is an expression of the human heart reaching out to the divine” may sound generous—but it is a lie and a grave offense against the First Commandment. Not all religions come from God; in fact, only one does: the Catholic Faith founded by Jesus Christ.
To claim that paganism, heresy, or idolatry are valid ways to reach God is to deny the Gospel, mock the martyrs, and betray Christ, who said:
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh to the Father but by Me.”
The true Catholic Church condemns such religious indifferentism, and so must every faithful Catholic.
“All the gods of the Gentiles are devils.”