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AnotherMe
Guest
Can Protestants be Saved?
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TRH1292
Guest
Although the Catholic Church is the Church instituted by Christ for the Salvation of All, God’s Mercy is not limited, so yes, those that are Protestants have an opportunity for salvation, especially because they are Christians and have been called by Christ in Baptism. But they are also called to Catholic Unity, and the Grace of Salvation comes through the body, which is the Church.
But the short answer is yes.
But the short answer is yes.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
Catholic teaching says it is possible if they are invincibly ignorant of the truth of the faith. From the Catechism:CCC#847 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.
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Della
Guest
Because they are baptized with the same baptism as the Church proscribes, they are members of the Church although imperfectly joined to her. Unfortunately for them, they are denying themselves many of the graces they would have received through the sacraments of the Church, especially the Eucharist and reconciliation.
As to their salvation, it’s the same as for Catholics. We must cooperate with God’s grace, as we receive it from him,/he grants them to us in order to be saved. This means avoiding sin and being repentant when we do sin, as well as doing the work God has in mind for us. No one can shirk his duty to God and his fellow man and expect to be saved.
As to their salvation, it’s the same as for Catholics. We must cooperate with God’s grace, as we receive it from him,/he grants them to us in order to be saved. This means avoiding sin and being repentant when we do sin, as well as doing the work God has in mind for us. No one can shirk his duty to God and his fellow man and expect to be saved.
From the Catechism of the Council of Trent:
The Third Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of Unbelievers
A third degree of prayer is that which is offered by those who have not as yet been illumined with the light of faith; but who, when the divine goodness illumines in their souls the feeble natural light, are strongly moved to the desire and pursuit of truth and most earnestly pray for a knowledge of it.
If they persevere in such dispositions, God, in His mercy, will not neglect their earnest endeavours, as we see verified by the example of Cornelius the centurion. The doors of the divine mercy are closed against none who sincerely ask for mercy.
Source: cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/trent/tpray0.htm
The Third Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of Unbelievers
A third degree of prayer is that which is offered by those who have not as yet been illumined with the light of faith; but who, when the divine goodness illumines in their souls the feeble natural light, are strongly moved to the desire and pursuit of truth and most earnestly pray for a knowledge of it.
If they persevere in such dispositions, God, in His mercy, will not neglect their earnest endeavours, as we see verified by the example of Cornelius the centurion. The doors of the divine mercy are closed against none who sincerely ask for mercy.
Source: cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/trent/tpray0.htm
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cguerber
Guest
I’m curious. If I don’t participate (not being Catholic) in the sacraments, and thus as you stated I’m denying myself graces, how does that relate to my life? Am I less than someone who partakes in the sacraments? Am I a notch or two lower than Catholics? Does God not look at me as He does to a Catholic? Is a Catholics life better by participating? I’m just trying to see what the difference is. Thanks.
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Della
Guest
Both your and MarcoPolo’s quotes speak of non-Christians. I believe these paragraphs from the CCC more closely match AnotherMe’s question:
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TRH1292
Guest
Are you less? No.
A notch or two lower on what?
God looks at all people in state of Grace the same way.
The difference is you are not fully participating in the benefits of Christ’s redemption. You do not have full access to the graces of Christ in a complete way. In addition, you do not have access to the healing power of confession.
All of this in an objectively difficult situation and does make salvation much harder.
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Della
Guest
Precisely.
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WaitingForJesus
Guest
Of course you are not less. But you are missing out on the beauty of and graces that come from the sacraments. The sacraments…particularly regular confession to Priest and Holy Communion…strengthen us and help us to avoid sin. We believe that when we receive Holy Communion we are receiving the body and blood of Christ…and it isn’t symbolic. If we are receptive and cooperate when we encounter him in the sacraments, HE helps us to grow in holiness. Now just to be clear, Catholics differ in their receptivity and degree of cooperation…and so if they aren’t truly open to the workings of Christ in the sacraments, the sacraments won’t be that helpful. I know it sounds weird, but my experience (being a convert) is that the sacraments really do make a difference.
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RosslynV
Guest
I’m by no means a theologian and far from it. Jesus said, and I’m paraphrasing, that if one does not eat His flesh and drink of His blood, life cannot be in that person. So if protestants do not partake in a real and valid Holy Communion, how can they merit life (or salvation)?
As a Catholic I take this saying or command from Jesus literally. Anyways, I’m sure that Protestants interpret this saying differently than us Catholics. So then this command from Jesus doesn’t apply to protestants and they can still be saved?
As a Catholic I take this saying or command from Jesus literally. Anyways, I’m sure that Protestants interpret this saying differently than us Catholics. So then this command from Jesus doesn’t apply to protestants and they can still be saved?
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Della
Guest
The Church interprets Jesus’ words to mean that one must believe Jesus was speaking literally, but not that everyone must partake in order to be saved. If Jesus had meant this to mean that one cannot be saved without partaking, then many could not be saved through no fault of their own, such as small children, the infirm who cannot receive, the severely retarded, etc.
Those who know the truth and were baptized and confirmed in the Church who reject this teaching are formal heretics, and for them there is a real danger of losing their salvation because they reject Christ’s teaching. However, those who were brought up in ignorance of this teaching are material heretics, which means they are not culpable for not believing.
Not all Protestants do deny this teaching, such as Episcopalians and Lutherans, but Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Fundamentalists, etc. do dispute it. Still, most dispute it from ignorance rather than from full knowledge and consent, therefore, they are not culpable.
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RosslynV
Guest
OK but those protestants who take Jesus at his word literally still do not participate in real Communion as us catholics-- that is , the communion is really Jesus present (body, blood, soul and divinity).
I guess I’m confused now more than ever after reading the responses here. In particular, after reading that passage from Catechism above, it seems that a protestant can easily get into Heaven without converting to Catholicism. So maybe, all faiths lead to salvation. (I’m not begruding that Protestants should get into Heaven–so please don’t infer that from my words).
I guess I’m confused now more than ever after reading the responses here. In particular, after reading that passage from Catechism above, it seems that a protestant can easily get into Heaven without converting to Catholicism. So maybe, all faiths lead to salvation. (I’m not begruding that Protestants should get into Heaven–so please don’t infer that from my words).
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WaitingForJesus
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You are right they do not participate in real communion. For them, it is a symbolic and spiritual event…and it does not convey any physical graces as our communion does. But, the faith tradition one follows is not what dictates whether or not (s)he gets into heaven. Rather it is what the person does with the light (s)he has been given.
Having spent most of my life as a Protestant, I have to say that I don’t think it would be easy to get into heaven. The reason I say this is that in order to get into heave one also needs to repent and have perfect contrition for his or her sins. This is a high bar…
Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again” (CCC 1451). It may be imperfect or perfect.
**Imperfect contrition, “is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner **(contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance”. (CCC 1453).
**Perfect contrition, “arises from a love by which God is loved above all else”. It **“remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible”. (CCC 1452).
Now the Protestant traditions don’t have sacramental confession. And so it seems that Protestants would not be held culpable for not going to confession. But, many of these churches do teach that one must confess his/her sins to God and resolve not to sin again in order to be saved. It seems to me that our Lord will consider whether or not someone who has been raised as a Protestant has really done that, along with the nature of their contrition.
My own experience as a Protestant was that I rarely focused on confessing my sins. And my contition was at best imperfect. The sacraments of confession and communion really do help us. If we regularly partake in both, our love of God will grow and our contrition will be changed from imperfect to perfect. And communion strengthens us…both physically and spiritually…by helping us to avoid sin. The Protestant really does have a disadvantage because (s)he is operating without the benefit of these sacraments. While I believe it is possible for a Protestant to have sufficient love of God to have perfect contrition, I think it is more difficult.
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mdgspencer
Guest
Having sacraments means that a person has better opportunities. So if there is a sacrament for those who are dying that will give them God’s grace to better face dying, this can be helpful.
But this doesn’t mean that non-Catholics aren’t right before God. God gives them grace too. So having less opportunities for grace in some ways doesn’t mean they are a notch below Catholics spiritually in some way.
A great deal depends on the individual. I am sure there are many non-Catholics better than me.
But this doesn’t mean that non-Catholics aren’t right before God. God gives them grace too. So having less opportunities for grace in some ways doesn’t mean they are a notch below Catholics spiritually in some way.
A great deal depends on the individual. I am sure there are many non-Catholics better than me.
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Della
Guest
Actually, no one is guaranteed entrance into heaven. It’s not a matter of following a prescribed list of things to believe and do that gains one heaven, but cooperating with God’s grace as one knows how and is able. So, salvation is open to all peoples everywhere even if they’ve never heard of Our Lord Jesus. This is because his life, death, and resurrection gained us our redemption–which makes possible our salvation.
Jesus told us that to whom much is given, much is required. So, the more we have access to, such as the sacraments and sound theology, the more culpable we are. So, the Protestant who does everything to please God as he understands it is in a better position than the Catholic who knows everything but does not cooperate with God’s grace.
This does not mean that we Catholics are in a lesser position, but rather that we have a calling to give to the world what we’ve been given. It’s a higher responsibility, but it also has greater rewards because of the graces we have available that non-Catholics do not have.
As for taking Jesus’ words literally, Protestants who do not believe in the Real Presence simply cannot accept that what Jesus plainly said he actually meant to be taken literally. It’s contradictory to what they claim about being “Bible only” believers, but if you point this out to them they’ll either look at you like you have 3 heads, or they’ll argue that they are interpreting the passages in question correctly and the Church isn’t. People can be spiritually blind, and sometimes it’s willful. If the latter, we can only leave them to God, if the former, we may be able to show them the truth. But, only the Holy Spirit can convict anyone of the truth, which is why we need to keep our separated brethren in our daily prayers.
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RosslynV
Guest
Della, you are a deep thinker and I appreciate the responses. I’m surprised more folks haven’t chimed in on this topic although I’m sure it has been amply covered before in other threads.
Have been thinking more about this issue. It seems that protestants somehow get a pass. Whereas catholics have to confess mortal sins in the confessional, protestants simply have to pray to God to get forgiven. And then catholics are blessed and fortunate enough to be able to receive final graces in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick, but Protestants somehow don’t need such final graces to be enter into Heaven. It just seems to be a disconnect going on here which I can’t wrap my brain around.
It seems that Protestants can act according to their conscience as best they see fit, and Heavan is firmly in their grasp, whereas Catholics have to engage in constant participation of the sacraments of the Eucharist, reconciliation, and other sacraments, along with good works in order to be saved.
Have been thinking more about this issue. It seems that protestants somehow get a pass. Whereas catholics have to confess mortal sins in the confessional, protestants simply have to pray to God to get forgiven. And then catholics are blessed and fortunate enough to be able to receive final graces in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick, but Protestants somehow don’t need such final graces to be enter into Heaven. It just seems to be a disconnect going on here which I can’t wrap my brain around.
It seems that Protestants can act according to their conscience as best they see fit, and Heavan is firmly in their grasp, whereas Catholics have to engage in constant participation of the sacraments of the Eucharist, reconciliation, and other sacraments, along with good works in order to be saved.
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Della
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I know it seems that way, in theory, but where the rubber hits the road, it’s not really like that. We have to remember that no one is guaranteed salvation, certainly not by our own efforts. God knows the heart, as well as what people are culpable for and why, so we leave all such judgments to him.
We Catholics don’t want to put ourselves in the position of the ungrateful workers who complained when they were paid a full days wages after working in the sun all day and those who had worked only an hour got the same wage. God rewards according to his justice and mercy. We need to be thankful that those imperfectly joined to the Church may be saved. I emphasize the word “may” because the fewer graces people have access to the harder it is for them to remain faithful.
As for mortal sins, a person has to know a sin is mortal/deadly (the Scriptures plainly tell us what they are), do it deliberately and of his own free will to be culpable of it. I’m sure there are Protestants who fall into that category. They will have to answer to God for it without having the benefit of absolution–a frightening thought. Heaven may not be their destination if they are fully culpable of their sins. But, only God can know if they made perfect contrition for such sins, which satisfies his justice. If they do not find themselves in hell, they will most likely find themselves in Purgatory, which they were hardly expecting. We Catholics have the benefit of knowing for certain that such sins are forgiven in confession, so we are the “lucky” ones there.
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JimR-OCDS
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Della and TRH1292, you are both spot on in answering this question.
Jim
Jim
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