Pope Francis & Peace with God

Many of our Roman Catholic friends will be mourning this week with the passing of Pope Francis. Death is a true enemy and we can mourn with those who mourn.

By all appearances and the testimony of many, Francis was a kind and friendly man who was an inclusive people-person and a lover of simplicity.  As a Jesuit he was a transformer, living and leading differently to many who have gone before him. One article I read spoke of the way he was more Catholic than Roman in his approach to the papacy and so by some he will be dearly missed and by others there will be a sigh of relief.    

As is often the case, in death the world becomes much more interested in senior religious figures; even our nation’s flags were at half mast on Tuesday! So it’s very possible that you (as a person of faith) will be asked for your thoughts on the whole thing or perhaps even asked what’s the difference between your church and the Roman Catholic Church. It’s good to be clear on the answer and kind in response so I asked Gerard to help me gather up some thoughts. 

Why Gerard? Well, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but came to understand God’s grace when he came to youth group here at Christ Church in late high school. 

He wrote this for me:

After trusting in Jesus I really wrestled with the differences between Roman Catholicism and biblical Protestantism and asked myself the question, ‘Why shouldn’t I go back to a Roman Catholic parish church?’

I discovered the most important difference between biblical Protestantism and Roman Catholicism is the answer to this question: how do we have peace with God? Biblical Protestantism teaches that faith in Jesus is both necessary and sufficient for this peace (Ephesians 2:8–9). Roman Catholicism teaches that faith is necessary but not sufficient: it must be complemented by our participation with Jesus through our good works. 

The difference sounds slight, but is actually night and day. In Roman Catholicism you can only be saved if you trust in Jesus and you do good works, including regularly participating in the sacraments (communion, confession, etc.) There is never an assurance of salvation because you may commit a ‘mortal sin’ after baptism, which reverts you to enmity with God. And even if you haven’t committed a mortal sin after baptism, you will have to undergo the painful ‘purging’ of purgatory for an undefined period (historically thought to be thousands of years) before entering into glory with Jesus. 

Indulgences (the church granting time off purgatory) were the spark that started the Reformation through Martin Luther, and they are alive and well today. 2025 is considered a ‘Jubilee Year’ by the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope has offered full (‘plenary’) indulgences to people who make a pilgrimage to certain holy sites this year. The Reformation isn’t over, and can actually never be while the Roman Catholic Church maintains that its edicts (contrary to Scripture) are infallible (unable to be in error and so uncorrectable).

As Biblical Protestants, we do teach about good works, but they are not what brings peace with God. They are the natural outworking of new life in the believer (Ephesians 2:10). Good works are the fruit, not the root of our salvation - the root is peace with God through faith in Jesus. In Roman Catholicism, the root is faith in Jesus PLUS your good works, and the hoped-for fruit is peace with God.

There are other differences between biblical Protestantism and Roman Catholicism (think saints, Mary, candles, incense, etc.), but the most important difference that keeps us divided is the gospel issue of how you have peace with God. 

So, in the days and weeks ahead, when someone asks you about the difference between your church and the Roman Catholic Church, you have a gospel opportunity right in front of you. When you have such opportunities, make sure you take them with gentleness and respect, particularly in this time of grief and mourning (1 Peter 3:15). But pray and prepare so you are ready to speak of the glory and grace of Jesus. 

You could talk about the peace with God that you have because Jesus died for you. You could share John 3:16 - how, through faith in Jesus, you will not perish but have eternal life. You could ask a question such as, ‘If you were to die tonight, are you confident you would enter heaven?’ And you could continue to share of the perfect work of Jesus that brings perfect peace with our Heavenly Father. ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Romans 5:1).

So pray for your Roman Catholic friends that they might grieve as those with hope and be ready to share with them the beautiful hope of grace found in Jesus.