Report: Pope denies bodily resurrection of Christ

Pope Francis (Image courtesy Pixabay)

Pope Francis already has been accused of heresy by prominent Catholic clergy, but now his longtime friend and interviewer is claiming the South American-born pontiff denies one of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead in bodily form.

Eugenio Scalfari, a left-wing atheist journalist, published the remarks in the periodical he founded, La Repubblica, and in a new book, CNS News reported.

Scalfari claims that the pope told him that Jesus Christ did not rise bodily from the dead but "in the semblance of a spirit."

In the Nov. 5 edition of La Repubblica and in the introduction to his new book, Scalfari states Francis said: "He [Jesus] was a man until he was placed in the tomb by the women who recomposed his body. That night, in the tomb, the man [Jesus] disappeared and came forth from the grotto in the semblance of a spirit that met the women and the Apostles while still preserving the shadow of the person, and then he definitely disappeared."

The independent Catholic news site Church Militant asked the Vatican press office to respond and was given a "non-denial denial."

"As already stated on other occasions, the words that Dr. Eugenio Scalfari attributes in quotation marks to the Holy Father during the interviews he had cannot be considered as a faithful account of what was actually said, but rather represent a personal and free interpretation of those who listened, as appears completely evident from what is written today regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ," the Holy See statement said.

CNS News Managing Editor Matthew W. Chapman pointed out the response does not state that what Scalfari wrote was false and there is "no clear denial, no demand that Scalfari correct his article or retract it, and no denial by the Pope himself."

The Vatican's response was similar when Scalfari reported Francis told him in 2018 there is no hell and, recently, when the journalist claimed the pope told him that once Jesus Christ became incarnate, he was a man, a "man of exceptional virtues" but "not at all a God."

In a report on Scalfari's latest claim, LifeSiteNews cited a tweet from Italian journalist Antonio Socci.

"Scalfari continues to attribute to Bergoglio quotes that contain unheard-of theological enormities and no one from the Vatican cares in the least of denying, nor do they tell Scalfari to stop. Catholics think: those who keep silent agree," he wrote according to a translation from Italian.

Nick Donnelly, a Catholic deacon, told Church Militant, "The Scalfari claims about Francis' heretical beliefs are so shocking, and the Pope's adamant silence so incomprehensible, we have to assume that this is an accurate account of their conversations."

Donnelly noted the bodily resurrection of Jesus is "de fide," meaning essential, doctrine.

"Every time we recite the Nicene and Apostles' Creed we proclaim the bodily resurrection of Jesus," he said. "In the past, an ecumenical council would have been convened to condemn Christological heresies."