▁A ▁sp okes man ▁for ▁the ▁V at ican , ▁Father ▁Thomas ▁Ros ica , ▁issued ▁an ▁" ex plan atory ▁note " ▁that ▁non - C athol ics ▁who ▁" know " ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁but ▁do ▁not ▁convert ▁" c annot ▁be ▁saved ", ▁and ▁only ▁those ▁who ▁" sin cer ely ▁seek ▁God … can ▁att ain ▁et ernal ▁salv ation ". ▁Hend rik ▁H ert z berg ▁critic ized ▁Ros ica ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York er ▁magazine , ▁and ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁there ▁may ▁be ▁major ▁internal ▁disag re ement ▁between ▁supp or ters ▁and ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁V at ican ▁II ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Francis ▁wrote ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Italian ▁journalist ▁Eugen io ▁S cal f ari , ▁saying ▁non - bel ie vers ▁would ▁be ▁forg iven ▁by ▁God ▁if ▁they ▁followed ▁their ▁cons ci ences . ▁Res pond ing ▁to ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁questions ▁published ▁in ▁his ▁newspaper ▁by ▁S cal f ari , ▁who ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁Catholic , ▁Francis ▁wrote : ▁" you ▁ask ▁if ▁the ▁God ▁of ▁Christians ▁forg ives ▁those ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁believe ▁and ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁seek ▁faith . ▁Given ▁the ▁prem ise , ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁fundamental , ▁that ▁the ▁mer cy ▁of ▁God ▁is ▁limit less ▁for ▁those ▁who ▁turn ▁to ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁s inc ere ▁and ▁contr ite ▁heart , ▁the ▁issue ▁for ▁the ▁un bel ie ver ▁lies ▁in ▁obey ing ▁his ▁or ▁her