Invincible Ignorance and Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

  • Thread starter Thread starter Latinitas
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Latinitas said:
So my interpretation is this: all who are to be saved must hold the Catholic faith (cf. Creed of St. Athanasius), but some, if taught by an angel from heaven, will believe implicitly, and thus be baptized by desire, and, as long as they possess the virtue of charity by following the dictates of their sincere conscience, they will be saved.
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All men who are saved are saved through the merits of Jesus Christ, whether or not they are members of the Catholic Church. Indirectly, they are part of the Mystical Body of Christ if they have been formally baptized in their denominations with the Trinitarian formula. There is still an obligation to possess charity, just as it is required of Catholics.

Those who have not been formally baptized, but live according to their sincere conscience and strive to honor and obey God, will receive baptism by desire - that’s correct. I wouldn’t go so far as to say an angel from heaven will teach them, but we understand that God, through His Holy Spirit, will enlighten men with “actual graces” to follow the natural law written in their hearts. His holy will is that all men may be saved, but He gives them freedom to reject those graces. [Jesus wept - Lk. 19:41]
 
Sirach2 said:
All men who are saved are saved through the merits of Jesus Christ, whether or not they are members of the Catholic Church. Indirectly, they are part of the Mystical Body of Christ if they have been formally baptized in their denominations with the Trinitarian formula. There is still an obligation to possess charity, just as it is required of Catholics.
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If I might add, just to quibble a little, that those who have implicit faith and baptism of desire, as well as charity, are members of the Catholic Church in voto, since this better protects the formula of “no salvation outside the Church”.

Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
 
Latinitas said:
If I might add, just to quibble a little, that those who have implicit faith and baptism of desire, as well as charity, are members of the Catholic Church in voto, since this better protects the formula of “no salvation outside the Church”.

Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
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IOW, the Mystical Body of Christ is “Catholic.” 😛 👍
 
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