Pope Francis has rejected the Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to Heaven and now claims “all religions are paths to reach God.”He also had 600 youth pledge a commitment of “coexistence,” a conflation of all religions. "God is God for all, and if God is God for all, then we are all sons and daughters of God," said the pope, speaking to 600 young people at an “interreligious meeting” at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore last week, according to the Vatican News.“We are all sons and daughters of God,” he repeated, despite New Testament Scriptures that say the children of God are those who believe in Jesus. Conference participants represented more than 50 schools and different religious and interfaith organizations."All religions are paths to reach God,” continued the pope. “They are — to make a comparison — like different languages, different dialects, to get there. But God is God for everyone." .Pope Francis, who was on the last stop of his 45th Apostolic Journey to four nations, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, told young people to focus on “unity” and “hope” regardless of religious beliefs. Under the pope’s instruction, youth at the Singapore conference committed to a “Pledge of the Future Generation to work for Unity and Hope.”"We, the future generation, pledge to be a beacon of unity and hope by promoting cooperation and friendships that nurture the harmonious coexistence between people of diverse beliefs." .The pope also said youth should take risks “to engage the world” and not to be afraid. Fear "can paralyze you,” he said, adding, “it is normal to make mistakes," but the important thing is acknowledging the mistake and moving forward. He heard testimonies from Hindu, Sikh and Catholic youths, and “encouraged their personal faith journey, but appealed for them to walk together and toward the common good,” the Vatican reported. "If you dialogue as young people, then you will be able to do so as citizens and as members of a community,” said Pope Francis. “If you dialogue as young people, then you will be able to do so as citizens and as members of a community.”“The first thing a dictatorship does is take away dialogue,” he has stated on multiple previous occasions.
