According to the media, Pope Francis said that the souls of those who repent are pardoned by God and "join in his contemplation" after death, but those who do not show repentance cannot be pardoned and their souls "disappear." The Pope concluded that hell does not exist – "what exists is the disappearance of sinful souls," the newspaper reports.
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Some users in social media doubted the accuracy of La Repubblica's report from the very beginning, as this is not the first time that 93-year-old Scalfari, an atheist journalist, makes the Vatican uneasy, citing distorted quotes of Pope Francis. In addition, Scalfari has repeatedly admitted not to be using a recorder during his interviews with the pontiff.
The magisterial authority vested in a 90-year-old reporter quoting the Pope from memory: exactly 0.
There’s something really dishonorable about a Vatican that won’t make any specific clarification of the Pope’s words, but depends on Catholic media to impugn as an atheist and exaggerator, the very reporter the pope himself chose.
Some netizens were also outraged, having taken the Pope's quote as true, whereas others just used the opportunity to fool around.
The Pope's latest heresy is that there is no Hell. How are Catholics going to defend this one?
the pope has obviously never stepped on a Lego..