This article seeks to defend the Pope’s comments in his recent CBS interview.

Recently, on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Pope Francis was asked what he sees in the world that still gives him hope. His response was simply “everything.” He continued to explain certain examples of what gave him hope, such as “heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future.” He finished the thought with “and people are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.” This final statement is what has led some in the community to accuse the holy father of heresy, such as writer Eric Metaxas, who on X said “If this is true, we don’t need a Savior to die on the Cross. So, this pope is a heretic.” Radio host Erick Erickson has written “This is contrary to basic Christian theology. We are all sinners. There aren’t just ‘some sinners.’” Further, Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan wrote “This raises a question: Is the Pope Catholic? Apparently not! The minute he saw an American journalist nodding at him, he should have known he had gone astray.” These were just a few of many personalities who have questioned the Pope’s words.

I contend that this statement from the pope was not any sort of heresy or contradiction to theology. In fact, this statement is fully in line with the Church’s greatest theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. In Aquinas’ Shorter Summa, he argues that an evil natured being is impossible. He says “Evil cannot be a nature. Every nature is either an act or potency or a composite of the two. Whatever is act, is a perfection and is good in its very concept. And what is in potency has a natural appetite for the reception of act. But what all beings desire is good.”  Essentially, as every man was created through God’s goodness, man naturally desires what he interprets as good. Therefore, every act and potency of man is in fact seeking goodness. St. Thomas also speaks of man’s errors in seeking goodness. “Clearly, therefore, they are in error who seek happiness in various things outside of God. Some look for happiness in carnal pleasures, which are shared even by brute animals.” Further he explains some seek happiness in other things such as wealth, power, and reputation. So, while man is good in nature, he is misguided in seeking goodness outside God. Man has free will which was given by God, and man’s original sin was diverting his free will from the will of God.  I think this is what the Pope meant when he described some as being “rogues and sinners.” I do not believe he was trying to imply only some of us as sinners, but rather that we all tend to stray from the path of God, but that fundamentally we are guided back to his goodness.

So, while I believe the Pope could have chosen his words better to convey his message, I find his thoughts completely in line with Christian theology. The unfortunate truth is many of these commentators call themselves “conservatives” and label Pope Francis and a “liberal.” Therefore, they criticize his every word as a means of political warfare. While I wouldn’t advocate for our leaders, whether spiritual or political, to not be held to the proper standard, I do think it unjust in this circumstance for the Pope to be categorized as a heretic without analyzing his words.