One of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church is this one: "Outside the Church there is no salvation" (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus). Those trying to grasp the meaning of this teaching often struggle with its formulations by various Church Fathers and Church Councils down through history. Of course, to understand an isolated formulation of any Church teaching, one must study the historical context within which it was written: why it was written, what was going on in the Church at the time, who the intended audience was, and so on. One must discover how the magisterium (teaching office) of the Church understands its own teaching. If someone fails to do this and chooses, rather, to simply treat a particular formulation as a stand-alone teaching, he runs the risk of seriously misunderstanding it. In recent times, the Church has recognized that its teaching about the necessity of the Catholic Church for salvation has been widely misunderstood, so it has "re-formulated" this teaching in a positive way. Here is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church begins to address this topic: "How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Reformulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body" (CCC 846). In keeping with the Church’s current spirit of ecumenism, this positive reformulation comes across less harshly than previous negative formulations. Even so, it remains quite controversial. So, let’s see how this new formulation squares with Scripture. Jesus, the Way The first part of the reformulated teaching—"all salvation comes from Christ the Head"—is quite easy for all Christians, even non-Catholics, to understand and embrace. It echoes Jesus’ own words recorded by John: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). So, Christians unanimously agree on this first part. But is this all that needs to be said about how one may be saved? The Catholic Church has historically recognized the importance of explaining further the means through which salvation is offered through Christ. When speaking of salvation, Jesus offered more details than just his words quoted above. For example, consider these three verses: He who believes and is baptized will be saved. (Mk 16:16) nless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Lk 13:3) [H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:54) Notice that in these three verses Jesus associated salvation with baptism, confession, and the Eucharist, respectively. Catholics recognize that these sacraments are administered through the Church. In fact, in the case of the latter two, a validly ordained priest is necessary for their administration, so the sacrament of ordination must also be associated with salvation. A primary role of the Catholic Church in conjunction with salvation is becoming quite clear. This brings us to the second part of the Catechism’s formulation of the doctrine being considered: ". . . through the Church which is his Body." With Him or Against Him Since the sacraments are the ordinary means through which Christ offers the grace necessary for salvation, and the Catholic Church that Christ established is the ordinary minister of those sacraments, it is appropriate to state that salvation comes through the Church. This is not unlike the situation that existed prior to the establishment of the Catholic Church. Even before it was fully revealed that he was the Messiah, Jesus himself taught that "salvation is from the Jews" (Jn 4:22). He pointed the woman of Samaria to the body of believers existing at that time, through which salvation would be offered to all mankind: the Jews. In a similar fashion, now that the Messiah has established his Church, Jesus might say, "salvation is from the Catholics"! Recognizing this, we can see why the Church, especially during times of mass exodus (such as has happened in times when heresies have run rampant), has been even more forceful in the way it has taught this doctrine. Instead of simply pointing out how God offers salvation from Christ, through the Church, the Church has warned that there is no salvation apart from Christ, outside his Church. Since Jesus established the Catholic Church as necessary for salvation, those who knowingly and willingly reject him or his Church cannot be saved. We see this in Jesus’ teaching: "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters" (Mt 12:30). Also: "f he [a sinning brother] refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Mt 18:17). Paul warned similarly: "As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned" (Ti 3:10-11). Having said all this, we must recognize that this doctrine is not as far reaching as some imagine it to be. People will sometimes ask, "Does this means non-Catholics are going to hell?" Not necessarily. Invincibly Ignorant The Church recognizes that God does not condemn those who are innocently ignorant of the truth about his offer of salvation. Regarding the doctrine in question, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (quoting Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, 16) states: This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. (CCC 847) Vatican II document Gaudium Et Spesteaches similarly on the possibility of salvation: All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery. (22) This teaching is consistent with Jesus’ own teaching about those who innocently reject him: "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin" (Jn 15:22). But once a person comes to know the truth, he must embrace it or he will be culpable of rejecting it. We see this in Jesus’ words to the Pharisees: "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains" (Jn 9:41). Paul taught likewise concerning the Gentiles: When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Rom 2:14-16) Notice Paul’s carefully chosen words: "their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them." Paul did not say that those who are innocently ignorant of the truth will be saved; he simply keeps open the possibility of it. Similarly, he wrote: "s God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith" (Rom 3:29-30). Necessary for Salvation As we have seen, God introduced salvation to the world through his chosen people, the Jews. God’s revelation to the Jews found its fulfillment in Christ, the Messiah, who established the Catholic Church. The grace necessary for salvation continues to come from Christ, through his Church. Those who innocently do not know and embrace this might still attain salvation but those who knowingly and willingly choose to reject it, reject salvation on God’s terms. The Catechism (once again quoting Lumen Gentium) summarizes all this as follows: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (CCC 846)
http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/what-no-salvation-outside-the-church-means Mariam posted this in the thread "the passing of a voice for unity".
I can't wait to see some of the responses that will be coming.... people have a hard enough time with 10 simple commandments and this kind of thing always gets people's hackles up, even a lot of Catholics. I'm a pretty straightforward kind of person, so if I bother spending my time with something, I have to wholeheartedly believe in it. I'm just so busy, I always say "if it's not the Truth, I'm not interested. I have better things to do than hang out at churches started by humans and regulated by humans." I have Catholic cousins and friends who believe that ALL churches are just fine and they regularly skip around to different denominations and don't think a thing of it. Of course they are always inviting me and get angry when I tell them it's sinful to miss Mass and go to a Mega Church or wherever. My one cousin loves one of those evangelical churches where they do a lot of hollering and "slaying in the spirit". She says she tries to be Catholic, but it's so boring and the Holy Spirit never comes like it does at the evangelical church.
So Invincible ignorance offers a chance. I can see how this could apply to some lost tribe up the Amazon. But to Protestant ministers , Can they claim to be unaware of the claims of the Roman Church?
So true. And to the ones that are history buffs but say that the Holy Spirit abandoned the Catholic Church centuries ago and went to THEIR church, I'm just wondering if they even believe that Jesus was actually God? Because if Jesus is God (and of course He is!) He could have seen 2000 years in the future when He said the gates of hell will not overcome His Church and it would stand until the end of time. Also, do they not believe that God can work a miracle in turning bread and wine into His body and blood even now??
We will be persecuted by those claiming to BE Catholic in the near future. Hold strong to the truths that you have been taught! We will be called "haters" and "elitists" by those who deny our dogmas and doctrines. They rely on their own intellect and emotions to guide them.
“Pope John Paul II: “The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation. “For this reason the Council, after affirming the centrality of the Paschal Mystery, went on to declare that ‘this applies not only to Christians but to all people of good will in whose hearts grace is secretly at work. Since Christ died for everyone, and since the ultimate calling of each of us comes from God and is therefore a universal one, we are obliged to hold that the Holy Spirit offers everyone the possibility of sharing in this Paschal Mystery in a manner known to God.’ “” [Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, n. 10.]
Second Vatican Council: “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life.” [Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, n. 16.]
Vatican II was primarily a teaching Council. Since it was an ecumenical council, meeting and promulgating its acts to the whole Church under the authority of the Pope, the Second Vatican Council’s doctrinal sentences demand assent and all of the Conciliar documents must be taken seriously as an expression of the living Magisterium. Archbishop Agostino Marchetto in reference to the SSPX “There must be an acceptance of the Council by those who want to be reunited with the Church".
I wonder, with prophecy and what it says, should we be sharing with our brothers and sisters who are not Catholic yet, come study the Faith, read the Catholic messages from Heaven too? Evangelize, tell them the messages speak of the unity of Christianity soon or be quiet, for if they are ignorant about knowing Roman Catholicism is the Faith, they will not be held accountable. To me, sharing with them now, they will recall when the Warning takes place.
This entire passage above is the "invincible ignorance" spoken about in the initial post. The Catholic Church is not accessible to every person on the planet. It IS, however, accessible to every adult in the United States (save the mentally ill).
"We have been taught ... those who lived reasonably are Christians, even though they have been thought atheists. For example the Greeks Socrates and Heraclitus and men like them." St. Justin Martyr, First Apology Chapt 46 (written around 155 AD) And I thought Karl Rahner invented the "Anonymous Christian."
Strictly speaking I suppose it is really the desire for baptism, for those privileged to know what it is and who understand its necessity and importance, that is required. The tricky bit is no doubt the "understanding its importance and necessity" part. Does simply living in a "Christian" country and materially "hearing" the Word proclaimed satisfy that requirement? Then there's the famous dictum "God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments." We can only teach what Christ taught us to teach. So we really don't know what God does outside of the constraints he gave the Church .
BH, why have you kept your light under a bushel, for so long. (Aside: As I was preapaing to type the biblical ?idiom? I had second thoughts that i had got it all wrong: bushel?: isn't that something to do with wheat? So i type into Google "biblical quote light under a" and out pops bushel.) I am particularly interested in any writings of the Church Fathers which would support the argument that the 'change' to the strict interpretation of EENS though Vatican ii wasn't' so much of a change after all. So BH if you have some more 'evidence' let's be having it.
Knowing about the Catholic Church and understanding the faith are very different things. In the U.S. at least, so many are taught that the Church is a cult, led by the enemy! We would certainly give the Holy Spirit a hand if we all evangelized our separated brothers and sisters by the shining example of personal holiness. That would draw them like a magnet!
I read one Protestant Pastor/Leader who called to see Pope Francis with Tony Palmer comment that the real separation these days between Christians is not between Protestants and Catholics but between those who have given way to moral relativism and those who have not. I have to say I have a lot of sympathy with this view. I think I would feel much , closer to a Protestant who was truly a Bible believing Christian than I would with very many so called Catholic Bishops, Cardinals. Priests and nuns who have fallen into the Hands of Satan with the most outrageous teachings and notions.
Bush in Latin is frutex Bushel in Latin is medimnum but in greek it is modii The text in the Latin Vulgate reads: [33] No man lighteth a candle, and putteth it in a hidden place, nor under a bushel; but upon a candlestick, that they that come in, may see the light. Nemo lucernam accendit, et in abscondito ponit, neque sub modio: sed supra candelabrum, ut qui ingrediuntur, lumen videant. The actual proper Latin translation of sub modio would be: under a bushel but I do not know why modio is translated into bushel. The actual definition of modio would be: peck which is a Roman dry measure but when you put sub modio into a translator you get: under a bushel. Maybe they are taking the greek translation in this case over the true proper Latin definition for the word modio. I am no way a Latin scholar but did take 4 years of it in High School. I am, however very good at searching on google and did spend the night in a Holiday Inn Express last night ha ha
