People that never hear about Jesus

[davidn87]

What is Catholic teaching on those who never hear who Jesus is, or have never heard anything about Christianity?

 

[Della]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Possible salvation of non-Christians: #s 846-848.

“Outside the Church there is no salvation”
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 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.336
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.337
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."338

This is not a “get out of hell free” card. God alone is the judge of who meets these criteria. The basis for this is that Jesus’ death on the cross redeemed all men. Christ’s redemptive act was once for all and provided all the saving grace anyone needs. The graces of Christ’s redemption are available to all since the Spirit of God has gone out into the whole world. Each person must use the graces God gave him, earned by Christ, to seek God and do God’s will. Thus, all who are saved are saved in Christ and not apart from him.

 

[Steve_Jay]

What is Catholic teaching on those who never hear who Jesus is, or have never heard anything about Christianity?

Hello David,
I have come across some who say that unless a person confesses that Jesus is Lord and believe that he is risen (Romans 10:9) then they are not saved. they use another argument too.

John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

No one can get to the Father except through Jesus. That is true. Then there is this which is used too:

John 3:5-8
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit** gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

So how can a person be born of the spirit unless they hear? They must be born of the spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The argument looses sight of the truth that Jesus will return to judge both the living and the dead. So no one will reach the Father except through Jesus and those who have not been privileged to hear may be born of the Spirit to enable them to enter Heaven.

The message then is that we who get to hear are privileged. Hearing isn’t a right. We should therefore treasure what we have heard. If we don’t treasure what we have heard then those who have not heard may even enter heaven before us.

John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!**

 

[mikeeh]

You mean like indigenous peoples living in isolation in the Amazon rainforest and by law we are not allowed to influence them? I think they’re kind of exempt. Judging from the Catechism of the Catholic Church posted by Della as long as they live a morally good life they can get into heaven, but I would assume they would have to wait in purgatory until the Second Coming of Christ.

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

What is Catholic teaching on those who never hear who Jesus is, or have never heard anything about Christianity?

Catechism of Pope St.Pius X:

27 Q. Can one be saved outside the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church?
A. No, no one can be saved outside the Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church, just as no one could be saved from the flood outside the Ark of Noah, which was a figure of the Church.

28 Q. How, then, were the Patriarchs of old, the Prophets, and the other just men of the Old Testament, saved?
A. The just of the Old Testament were saved in virtue of the faith they had in Christ to come, by means of which they spiritually belonged to the Church.

29 Q. But if a man through no fault of his own is outside the Church, can he be saved?
A. If he is outside the Church through no fault of his, that is, if he is in good faith, and if he has received Baptism, or at least has the implicit desire of Baptism; and if, moreover, he sincerely seeks the truth and does God’s will as best he can such a man is indeed separated from the body of the Church, but is united to the soul of the Church and consequently is on the way of salvation

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