Fr Feeney & no salvation outside RCC

  • Thread starter Thread starter asquared
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

asquared

Guest
Who was Father Feeney, what did he preach regarding no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church and the need for Catholic baptism. How far did his teaching go beyond true Church doctrine. Why was his teaching condemned? I recall a priest at a parish mission years ago on this topic who said Fr Feeney preached that there was no possibility for anyone to be saved who was not baptized and moreover all non-Catholics including Protestants, and of course non-Christians were doomed, and that Rome condemned this as heresy. What, precisely is correct Church teaching on this topic?
 
Fr Peter Strasvinskas has a pretty good source book called “Salvation Outside the Church”. I found it lacking is some areas but overall pretty good. Our Sunday Visitor Press printed it about 1 or 2 years ago. http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

Also, EWTN document library has some good stuff, good background.http://forums.catholic-questions.or...atholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

There are a few religious orders founded by Feeney, one accepted by the Church, the other not. So the confusion this Jesuit began about 60 years ago still prevails.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon13.gif

In a sentence… If we accept that Jesus Christ IS the Catholic Church, then there is no salvation outside of it.

MrS
 
Since nobody here is God, they can’t really comment on which church is the correct one or not.
 
All Christians must acknowledge that salvation is through Jesus Christ, and only through Jesus Christ. That’s the very foundation of being a Christian.

Catholic Christians correctly understand the Catholic Church to be the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ on Earth. It follows that anyone achieving salvation will do so though Jesus Christ and therefore the Catholic Church.

Catholic doctrine is clear. While one must not be a Catholic Christian in order to be eligible for salvation, if one does go to heaven it will be via the Catholic Church, whether they are Catholic (or even Christian) or not.
 
40.png
Andyman1517:
Since nobody here is God, they can’t really comment on which church is the correct one or not.
Click to expand...
No need to. Jesus Christ already did in the Gospel of Matthew when He created the Catholic Church.
 
I don’t think Rome condemned Fr Feeney’s teaching as heresy. My understanding is that his teaching is tolerated.

I thought Crusader explained it very well. I would add that from my understanding the Catholic Church simply says that non-Catholics may or might be saved, not that any of them are indeed saved. The Church says those who seek to do God’s will but through no fault of their own are ignorant of Jesus and His Gospel and His Church may by a way known to God be saved by God’s grace.

It seems that mortal sin is prevalent in our society and non-Catholics (except the Orthodox) don’t have access to the sacrament of confession. So the only way they can be forgiven of their mortal sins is through perfect contrition. So I think the chances of one’s being saved is much higher if one is Catholic. Also Catholics have the benefit of the graces of the Mass and Holy Communion and sacramentals and the prayers of the Church.
 
I heard Peter Kreeft remark on the topic of no salvation outside the RCC, (during a question and answer session with the Hahns), that it was sad and ironic that that Fr. Feeney found himself outside the visible Catholic Church for expressing this very belief.
 
40.png
pnewton:
I heard Peter Kreeft remark on the topic of no salvation outside the RCC, (during a question and answer session with the Hahns), that it was sad and ironic that that Fr. Feeney found himself outside the visible Catholic Church for expressing this very belief.
Click to expand...
Feeney preached that one must be a Catholic Christian in order to be eligible for salvation. This contravenes Catholic doctrine, and Feeney was correctly silenced.
 
these replies and website on a related thread were a great help, thanks to all.
 
40.png
Crusader:
Feeney preached that one must be a Catholic Christian in order to be eligible for salvation. This contravenes Catholic doctrine, and Feeney was correctly silenced.
Click to expand...
As I recall from the news media at the time [and they were a little more accurate than they are today] Father Feeney was excommunicated for refusing to come to Rome to discuss the matter. This avoided the problem of ruling on the underlying question at that time. It was later resolved at VII.

Fortunately Father Feeney was reconciled with the Church before his death.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top