My 7-year-old recently asked me about the Catholic Church and the pope. That’s not an easy conversation. I have Catholic friends, and so does he, which is why he’s asking. I also know that there have been people who heard the gospel in a Catholic Church, maybe by accident or they read scripture and saw the truth clearly, and they got saved. Praise God for every person who finds Christ!
But here’s where I’ve tried to help my son and others understand: we celebrate anyone who proclaims Jesus as Lord, but we never celebrate when something is added to the gospel. Jesus + anything = nothing. The gospel is complete. The moment you tack on confession to a priest, praying to saints, penance, or works as a requirement for salvation, you’re no longer preaching the gospel; you’re preaching another gospel, and that’s a serious problem (Galatians 1:6-9).
Pope Francis has passed away, and the Church has just named a new pope, Robert Prevost. But let’s be clear: there’s only one Holy Father, and He’s not in Rome. Jesus said, “Call no man your father on earth…” (Matt. 23:9).
We don’t need a pope. We don’t need a priest. We don’t need a mediator in a tall hat. We have Jesus—the only Mediator between God and man. And we don’t need to confess our sins to any man because we have a Savior who died to give us full and free access to the throne of grace.
So this new pope who claims to be the Holy Father? Nah, dog. That title’s already taken. Jesus is enough. The cross is enough. The resurrection is enough.
If you’ve been caught up in religion, if you’ve been told that tradition can save you, or if you’ve never heard the gospel without all the extra layers, come to Jesus. Not to a system. Not to a man. Come to the only One who can save your soul and change your life forever.