Pope Francis has expressed condolences on the death of an atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari,98 this week. He had several encounters with the Holy Father, have repeatedly sparked corrections and denials by the Vatican.
Eugenio Scalfari, a self-proclaimed atheist was the founder and former editor of Italian leftist newspaper La Repubblica. He was a towering figure in the world of Italian journalism.
In a statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, the Vatican said Pope Francis had learned “with the sorrow of the passing of his friend.”
Pope Francis “cherishes with affection the memory of the meetings — and the deep conversations on the ultimate questions of humankind — that he had with him over the years, and he entrusts his soul to the Lord in prayer, so that He may receive him and console those who were close to him,” Vatican news reported.
Scalfari’s claims that Pope Francis had denied, in personal encounters, the reality of hell and the divinity of Jesus, amongst other things, made headlines around the world.