Pope Francis Answers Question from a Grieving Boy Wondering if His Father is in Heaven

A grieving young boy recently asked Pope Francis a difficult question, and the Pope’s gentle response is touching the hearts of many.

The Huffington Post reports that the Pope made a visit to St. Paul of the Cross parish near Rome where he interacted with children of parishioners and answered questions.

A young boy named Emanuele approached the Pope to ask a question, but then he began crying, overcome with emotion. The Pope beckoned to the boy to whisper the question in his ear. The two talked for a short time, and then Francis told the crowd that Emanuele had given him permission to share his question.

The young boy had shared with the Pope that his father had recently died, and although he was a good father and had baptized his children, he was an atheist. “Is Dad in heaven?” the worried and grieving boy asked.

“A boy that inherited the strength of his father also had the courage to cry in front of all of us,” the Pope told the crowd. “If this man was able to create children like this, it’s true that he is a good man.”

“That man did not have the [gift] of faith, wasn’t a believer. But he had his children baptized. He had a good heart,” Francis added.

The Pope acknowledged that only God knows who will be taken to heaven, but that God has “the heart of a father.” He then asked the gathered children if they thought God…