Non-Christians obtaining Heaven?

[bmaj]

What does the Catholic Church teach in terms of whether non-Christians will be able to enter Heaven? I’m especially concerned regarding some wonderful friends of the Jewish faith and what will happen to them when they pass away. Thank you for any (name removed by moderator)ut you’re able to provide.

 

[AdamP88]

Basically it’s possible if they live their lives well and observe the “natural law” commandments.
However there are two aspects to this.

It could be argued that it will be more difficult for them to reach heaven without the aid of the sacraments and the grace that comes with it.

It can equally be argued that because they don’t have the benefit of the Church and the Knowledge of the Catholic faith, less is expected of them and The Lord will judge them accordingly.

It is also the case that, should they reach heaven, they are still saved through Christ, regardless of their beliefs.

 

[omgriley]

This is correct. Whoever are saved outside the Church will be saved in spite of their beliefs, not because of them. Jews, as with every non-Catholic, must cooperate with whatever grace God sends them as best they can.

It’s analogous to this: Suppose you and a friend are trying cross a river with rough waves, a strong current, and a thick fog over the surface. You’re about to jump in to swim when, another Person stops you. He tells you that there is a sturdy bridge just down the road that you can all use to cross the river safely. He tells you to follow Him, and you will surely reach the other side. You could jump in anyway and take your chances by swimming across on your own. But it’s extremely risky, and there is no guarantee that you’ll make it.

In scenario, who wouldn’t opt to cross the bridge?

Yes it’s possible to be saved while not being a Catholic, but one would be much safer if they were part of the Church.

 

[bmaj]

Thanks to you both very much for that excellent info. It’s definitely appreciated. May our dear Lord bless you always!

 

[AdamP88]

No problem. I do believe that the Jews are considered to be our anscestors in faith and they are the people to whom the Lord first proclaimed the Gospel. So I tend to think the Lord will have a special “soft-spot” for them.

They may not have the fullness of truth in the Church, but they are pretty close.

 

[fisherman_carl]

The Church teaches there is no salvation apart from Jesus and by extension his Church. However, this doesn’t mean it is impossible for someone to be saved who is, to use a theological term, ‘invincibly ignorant’, of Jesus or his Church. So this means someone who is invincibly ignorant can attain salvation by living according to the grace that God gives them. This does not mean that a person who chooses to be ignorant is invincibly ignorant. There is such a thing as culpable ignorance. This is where you just don’t want to know the truth or can’t be bothered to learn it.

Anyone who is invincibly ignorant of the Truth, meaning they are ignorant through no fault of their own can still only be saved through Jesus and his Church, but in a way known only to God. In other words God can save apart from the Sacraments according to his divine prerogative.

Now, before someone says why bother evangelizing people then if they can still be saved. Consider that we have no way of knowing who is invincibly ignorant and who is not. As well we cannot judge another person’s soul. Only God can do that. So we can’t assume someone is saved or is invincibly ignorant. Thus, we still need to evangize since the best way Christ taught us to help save others was through faith in Jesus Christ and his Sacraments.

As far as your friends are concerned consider Praying for them. As Scripture says the prayer of a righteous man avails much.

For more info see ccc 845 and onwards.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#845

 

[bmaj]

Thanks very much for that insightful response, Carl. Excellent info. As well as gently trying to get my friends of other faiths to see the truths of Catholicism, I definitely will continue to pray for them, no matter what. God’s blessings to you always!

 

[bmaj]

Very good point about the “soft spot,” AdamPeter! Thanks, and God bless!

 

[Gorgias]

Basically it’s possible if they live their lives well and observe the “natural law” commandments.

… presuming their lack of faith in the Church is “invincibly ignorant” (in other words, that they don’t know that membership in the Church is necessary).

Whoever are saved outside the Church will be saved in spite of their beliefs

Be careful with your phrasing. Some might interpret you to mean that you’re referencing the maxim “outside the Church there is no salvation”. Everyone who is saved, is done so inside the Church – that is, by the graces dispensed by the Church – even if they are not visible members of the Church.

Suppose you and a friend are trying cross a river with rough waves, a strong current, and a thick fog over the surface. You’re about to jump in to swim when, another Person stops you. He tells you that there is a sturdy bridge just down the road that you can all use to cross the river safely. He tells you to follow Him, and you will surely reach the other side. You could jump in anyway and take your chances by swimming across on your own. But it’s extremely risky, and there is no guarantee that you’ll make it.

Actually, that’s not an awesome analogy. (Sorry. )

In your analogy, the person knows that there is a sturdy bridge, and he declines to use it. That isn’t what the Church teaches about those non-Catholics who might have hope to attain to heaven. Rather, it’s the folks who don’t know that there’s a bridge, or have been told there’s a bridge but don’t believe it’s true – it’s these who have hope of salvation (in a way other than the normative baptism-sanctification-salvation way).

And even then, their salvation isn’t because they “swim across on their own”! It’s despite the fact that they’re going it on their own – their efforts aren’t what save them, it’s purely God’s grace!

 

[Serpent_of_Paradise]

I suggest that those who do not know Jesus can obtain “Limbo”; if there lives conform to the “Natural Law.” Perhaps they will learn more of Jesus in Limbo. Could a person in Limbo obtain “Baptism of Desire”? Otherwise after the Second Coming and Resurrection, all will Know Jesus. Who knows what his plans are for those then, perhaps Baptism!

 

[ChunkMonk]

I would say only those who do not know and were never told about the bridge. If they were told but do not believe, then I believe they are lost.

 

[PJM]

My Friend, here is what you need to know:

God will, because as GOD, He MUST pass final judgment on each soul not based on our freely chosen beliefs and practices; rather it will be on what GOD has made possible for each soul to know, accept, live and practice.

FROM OUR CATHOLIC CATECHISM

1260 “Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.” Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

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.

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."

Pray very much for them,
Patrick

 

[Gorgias]

I would say only those who do not know and were never told about the bridge. If they were told but do not believe, then I believe they are lost.

That’s not what the Church teaches:
Lumen gentium:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

Note that the assertion isn’t “those who were told about it”, but rather, those knowing that the Catholic Church is necessary.

 

[ChunkMonk]

Great, so becoming Catholic was the most dangerous thing for my soul that ever happened to me.

 

[bmaj]

Thanks very much for all of that info, Patrick. So many prayers needed for so many people, so little time! May God bless you always for your assistance.

 

[Gorgias]

Great, so becoming Catholic was the most dangerous thing for my soul that ever happened to me.

LOL! Yes… and no.

It’s “dangerous” only because it places requirements upon you.

It’s “safe” because it’s the only guaranteed way we know of in order to attain salvation.

Take your pick: will you live your life as a Catholic dangerously, or in safety? It’s your choice…

 

[PJM]

Thanks you and continued Blessings

Patrick

 

[Genesis315]

There are two important points. First, faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation. From the Catechism:

CCC 161 Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.42 "Since “without faith it is impossible to please [God]” and to attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life ‘But he who endures to the end.’"43

Second, as provided by a poster above (also from the CCC) "in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him (CCC 848).

To sum up, we should never despair about anyone. Those, who through no fault of their own do not have faith in Christ yet, but yet seek the truth and live according to an upright conscience, God will send them the helps and means they need to come to salvation–be ready, you might even be one of those helps!

 

[MysticMonist]

Patrick,

I’m not a Christian, I’m Bahai. So I’d like to clarify what do you all mean by knowledge of the church?
Plato says there is a difference between knowledge which is certain 100% and falsehood which 0% true and the opinion which is anywhere in between.
I have doubts about the validity of Catholic claims. I don’t know for certain they are not true, I could be wrong and they are. I’m pretty sure they aren’t, at least enough to become another faith.
I base this decision on the available evidence and lack of certainty I have. I don’t think I’m “invincibley ignorant” though.
What constitutes knowledge? If I had insufficient knowledge why would I become catholic? I had sufficient knowledge why wouldn’t I be catholic? In a way it seems more based on the amount of evidence God provides me than a moral choice on my part (to which I may be eternally responsible).

Is there a difference between not accepting and outright rejecting? I think Jesus may be God. It’s possible. I do identify and participate in a faith that says he isn’t. But we don’t openly reject it. It’s not we spit on icons or anything. Personally. I have many experiences that I’m very wary of rejecting Christ as God in any more than an academic, intellectual sense. I’m acutely aware that Jesus is special and have encountered His presence. This can be explained by his role as an annointed prophet, not necessarily God. But I’m not sure.

Thanks! And please do pray for me! I trust in God.

 

[Gorgias]

I’d like to clarify what do you all mean by knowledge of the church?

It’s not “knowledge of the church”, it’s knowledge that what the Church teaches is true.

If you know the Church exists… it doesn’t make you responsible.
If you know what the Church teaches… it doesn’t make you responsible.

Rather, if you have learned what the Church teaches and accept it as truth, then you have a moral obligation to act on that belief and become (and remain) a member of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept it as true, no such obligation exists. Moreover, the Church teaches that, if your lack of belief isn’t imputable to you (i.e., that it’s not the case that you are simply being obstinate), it is still possible to be saved. (However, that salvation comes purely by God’s mercy, and not by the normal means of attaining to heaven (justification, sanctification, salvation).)

Does that help?