Judging who gets to Heaven

[Robert_in_SD]

I understand these 2 basic Catholic princibles.

1. No one outside the Catholic Church can be saved.
2. We are not to judge people’s hearts.

So in knowing who gets to Heaven, is one to say that in general no non Catholic can get to Heaven, but on a personal level we can’t say “so and so is in Hell” because of judging their hearts?

Is that a correct idea?

You need to understand what the Church is saying, and what it is not saying, when it affirms the necessity of Christ’s church as the means for salvation. It does *not *mean - even generally - that all who are not practicing Catholics are doomed to Hell.

Vatican II addressed this issue in the document Lumen Gentium, at paragraphs 14-16. Here is some of what it said:

1. This Sacred Council wishes to turn its attention firstly to the Catholic faithful. Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition, it teaches that the Church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His Body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism(124) and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved.

They are fully incorporated in the society of the Church who, possessing the Spirit of Christ accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given to her, and are united with her as part of her visible bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. The bonds which bind men to the Church in a visible way are profession of faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical government and communion. He is not saved, however, who, though part of the body of the Church, does not persevere in charity. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but, as it were, only in a “bodily” manner and not “in his heart.”(12*) All the Church’s children should remember that their exalted status is to be attributed not to their own merits but to the special grace of Christ. If they fail moreover to respond to that grace in thought, word and deed, not only shall they not be saved but they will be the more severely judged.(13*)

Catechumens who, moved by the Holy Spirit, seek with explicit intention to be incorporated into the Church are by that very intention joined with her. With love and solicitude Mother Church already embraces them as her own.

1. The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. (14*) For there are many who honor Sacred Scripture, taking it as a norm of belief and a pattern of life, and who show a sincere zeal. They lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and Saviour. (15*) They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities. Many of them rejoice in the episcopate, celebrate the Holy Eucharist and cultivate devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God.(16*) They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power. Some indeed He has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood. In all of Christ’s disciples the Spirit arouses the desire to be peacefully united, in the manner determined by Christ, as one flock under one shepherd, and He prompts them to pursue this end. (17*) Mother Church never ceases to pray, hope and work that this may come about. She exhorts her children to purification and renewal so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the earth.

The question to ask is not whether a person is a practicing Catholic, because even being a pious Catholic alone does not guaranty salvation. Rather, one must ask how a person (although not a practicing Catholic) may be linked to the Church, or may not have knowingly or willingly refused to enter into it.

Peace,
Robert

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

I understand these 2 basic Catholic princibles.

1. No one outside the Catholic Church can be saved.
2. We are not to judge people’s hearts.

So in knowing who gets to Heaven, is one to say that in general no non Catholic can get to Heaven, but on a personal level we can’t say “so and so is in Hell” because of judging their hearts?

Is that a correct idea?

##…should be left to God alone

 

[Della]

I believe it is always a mistake for people to cherry-pick quotes out of context apart from the whole of what any religious body of believers believes/teaches. As I stated above and was confirmed by another poster, the only reliable and true interpreter of the Church’s documents is the Church’s official leadership–the Magisterium (all the bishops of the Church in union with the Pope). Even though I am a Catholic I would not take it upon myself to interpret Church documents, including the Bible, with regards to matters of faith (theology/practices) and morals (behavior).

Having said that, I can explain what the Church officially teaches in my own words, as best I can. And what the Church teaches is that ALL PEOPLE have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. This means Jews and Gentiles alike. This is what makes it possible for anyone to be saved–no matter who he may be–not the keeping of rules and regulations.

Each person is responsible for what he did with the grace God gave him and nothing more. So, if someone is brought up as a non-Catholic, perhaps even hostile to the Church, God knows this. He doesn’t expect people to know what they could not know nor believe what they had insurmountable barriers to believing. God is just and fair, not a tyrant waiting to pounce on people to condemn them.

This is not a “get out of hell” free card, though. Each person will be judged by God according his actions, decisions, etc. Anyone who has absolute knowledge of the truth of the Catholic faith but rejects it has reason to fear damnation, but not the innocent person who never heard/never understood what the Church actually is and what it actually teaches.

Those who have the opportunity to learn the truth have the obligation to do so. But, only God will judge who did/didn’t have that opportunity. God gave us Christ, and Christ gave us his Church, so we who are in the Church are obligated to follow Christ and his Church. Those outside it will be judged by God who is not bound by the sacraments he established (which he established for our salvation/for our good not as a means to condemn anyone).