Outside the Church There is No Salvation

Outside the Church There is No Salvation - Part 4

Recently, I gave a presentation to a Catholic Men's group made of a 'regular' Catholic Men, plus one priest (SJ) on the dogma of the Necessity of the Church for Salvation.

Previous articles on this topic can be found at these links part 1, part 2, part 3).

There was general surprise when I pointed out that the Second Vatican Council reiterated the necessity of the Church for Salvation with the same caveat of Invincible Ignorance as noted by Pope Pius IX (see slides below - also note I mislabeled the source - it was LG16 not LG17) .

At one point, the comment was made that it is possible to quote these teachings however a person wants when taken out of context. The complete text of LG 16 concerning the salvation of Jews and Muslims was quoted as an example.

Now, my objective was to demonstrate alignment between the pre-conciliar teaching and that of the Second Vatican Council. So, the ancillary statements I excluded from my slides. I do not believe that I was experiencing 'confirmation bias'. I remember seeing the following passage and noting the continuity between the prologue and the section that I quoted ('those also can attain ...').

Here is the quotation that was read from an iPhone:

Finally, those who have not yet received the Gospel are related in various ways to the people of God.In the first place we must recall the people to whom the testament and the promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh. On account of their fathers this people remains most dear to God, for God does not repent of the gifts He makes nor of the calls He issues. But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind. Nor is God far distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God, for it is He who gives to all men life and breath and all things, and as Saviour wills that all men be saved. LG16

The commenter was, I believe, trying to prove that LG16 changed Church doctrine and that the Old Covenant is still salvic. That opinion was decisively ruled out in an earlier council of the Church (name escapes me).

I do admit that I am not a linguistic expert, however, the first sentence in the above quote introduces those who have not yet received the Gospel, and the the first sentence of the following paragraph explains how the aforementioned groups may (not will) be saved. The teaching is a repetition of the doctrine concerning invincible ignorance.

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. (see slide 4)

What is necessary for non-Catholics to be saved (slide 0)? First they have to be 'Invincibly Ignorant', have Super Natural Faith (at a minimum believe there is a God and that He rewards the good and punishes the bad), have at least an implicit desire to enter the Church (see below) and make a perfect act of charity / contrition. These requirements were clearly described in the letter to Archbishop Cushing.

At this point we analysed the state of a Jewish or Muslim person vis-a-vis the four points necessary.

An unbaptized person (or even baptized non-Catholic) achieves a state of invincible ignorance, removing culpability for not entering the Church.
By default a person of either the Jewish or Islamic religion, can achieve the minimum requirements for Supernatural Faith. It is much easier for a protestant.
If this person is trying to align his will to that of God as he understands it and manifests implicit desire. Meaning if he knew that the Church of Christ is the True Church, then he would transition from an implicit to explicit desire to enter the Church.
Finally, based on the aforesaid items, if this person made a perfect act of charity / contrition then they will achieve a state of grace.

If the person then died in this state, they would be saved.

These are the principles, however, there are four issues to remain aware of:

A person will not know if they have achieved this state of grace via a perfect act of contrition until they've died. At this point, it is a little late if they fell short.
Nor will they know if they are invincibly ignorant.
No one else will know if that person was saved via this path until they die in their turn.
If the individual is saved, it is because of the aforementioned conditions, not because of anything salvic within their religion.

In other words, a non-Catholic person is saved in spite of their religion, not because of it (per se).

It is an interesting topic and actually consoling to see this is one area where the Church, aside from the rather fluffy prologue, is simply a repetition of prior doctrine.

Attached below are some of my slides.

P^3
Prayer
Penance
Patience

Slide 0

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 4

Slide 5

Slide 6

Slide 7

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

+ JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them. I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest. This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis? When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due. This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too th...

Communique about Avrille Dominicans - SSPX.org

+ JMJ Having completed the review of the 'Avrille' perspective, this communique from the French District Superior is perfectly timed. I believe that the 'resistance' has lost rationality and further argumentation simply results in their holding on to their false ideal all the more firmly. Pray much ... First, for them to acquiesce to the grace of humility in order to obtain a clear perspective on the principles involved. Second, that we may remain faithful to the Church, and Her Dogmas, Doctrines and Principles. Lest we become that which against we strove ... P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

A Reply to Martin Blackshaw’s FLAWED Remnant article titled: FLAWED: SSPX Advice on Abortion-tainted Vaccines

+ JMJ An article has appeared in the Remnant (link to article) and I am afraid that there are a number of flaws in it that need to be addressed. The author, Martin Blackshaw, believes that both the Church and the SSPX are misapplying the principle of Moral Theology called 'Cooperation In Evil'. Unfortunately, Mr. Blackshaw rests most of his arguments on citing authors that support his position, without considering the possibility that they are wrong. This highlights a key factor in this crisis: ignorance of the faith and its application . I don't am not singling out Mr. Blackshaw for this criticism, I have observed that it applies to laity and religious, superior and subject a like. No one seems immune in this enduring crisis, myself included. I further believe that this ignorance is why so many Catholics, both traditional and non, rely on their gut feeling or "Catholic conscience" for charting their way through this crisis of the faith. While...

Magisterium and Levels of Assent

+ JMJ Understanding the levels of assent to be given to the teachings of the Church is a critical success factor in walking the knife's edge during this crisis of the Church. The levels of assent are generally associated with the theological grades of certainty, which are not surprisingly mirrored by the censures for contravening the teachings of the various levels.

Tradicat

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