Is It Necessary for Salvation to be Catholic?

[Tryin2ShowJesus]

I preface this by saying I’m a non-denominational Evangelical Protestant that believes Jesus is the Son of God, he died for our sins, and was raised on the third day.

The pastors at my church talk about open and closed handed issues. Calvinism vs Arminianism, style of worship, communion frequency, when and how to baptize, etc… are all open handed issues to them. This means that the way you believe these things should be done is not essential to your salvation. Closed handed issues are believing in Jesus as the Son of God, following his commandments, believing in the Trinity, etc…

Through my study of church history, I am gaining a heart for the Catholic Church. I’m finding myself spending lunch breaks at open chapels and adorations praying that God guide me, use me for His will, and for my wife to hunger to seek as well. A lot of the teachings of the Catholic church are counter to how me and my wife were raised. My wife and I enjoy the church we are in and I believe they teach and preach the true fundamentals of Christianity.

• **Is it necessary that me and my family become Catholic to truly be followers of Christ and to live right according to Him?
• Why can we not stay in the church we are at where we love and serve God as we currently do?**

P.S. - Sorry for the long road to get to the question, but I wanted whoever was answering to get some kind of understanding as to where I’m coming for. I lack summarization skills. Thank you in advance!

 

[Karlo_Broussard]

It is true that the Catholic Church teaches that one may be saved outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church (see Lumen Gentium, sec. 19). However, there are certain conditions that apply:

1. One must innocently be ignorant of the truth that Jesus established the Catholic Church and wills for all men to obtain salvation through the Church.
2. One must be living according to the truth that he or she is able to know,
3. One must respond to the graces that he or she has access to, whether it is actual grace or sanctifying grace.

Now, Christ invites all to experience the fullness of truth and life that He came to give through His Church. So, if we love Jesus, then we ought to become Catholic once we become aware that He established the Catholic Church. Why would a believer settle for less grace and less truth when he or she knows that the fullness of truth and life subsists in the Catholic Church? I would encourage you to keep searching and looking into the claims of the Catholic Church to be the original Christian franchise.

Here is an article that might be of some help to you concerning this topic:

catholic.com/magazine/articles/what-no-salvation-outside-the-church-means

Karlo Broussard
Catholic Answers