Priest Said Something About Salvation

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psr13

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The priest at the church I have been attending was talking about salvation today. He said salvation is for everyone. He even said that people of oher religions receive it. From what I understand that is completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Should I be worried about this parish? I don’t know the priest and have only attended a few times, so I don’t think I can talk to him about it.
 
Perhaps your priest was talking about the message of the 3 wise men. They were Gentiles and not Jews. This has meaning that Jesus is not just for the Jewish people, but every person from every nation can be drawn to Jesus and become a disciple. The gospel gets preached, but the Jewish people heard it first, then all nations hear it, to the ends of the earth. He probably meant this, and not that every person will go to heaven.
 
My guess is that he was commenting on the significance of today’s feast, the Epiphany. If you remember the readings, they centered on the good news being extended to the gentiles, the “pagans” of those days. God had willed to include them in his plan of salvation.

Here is a good teaching of it from Pope JP II:
  1. (3) It follows that these separated Churches and Communities, though we believe that they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and value in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church".
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  1. (3) These are extremely important texts for ecumenism. It is not that beyond the boundaries of the Catholic community there is an ecclesial vacuum. Many elements of great value (eximia), which in the Catholic Church are part of the fullness of the means of salvation and of the gifts of grace which make up the Church, are also found in the other Christian Communities.
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psr13 said:
The priest at the church I have been attending was talking about salvation today. He said salvation is for everyone. He even said that people of oher religions receive it. From what I understand that is completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Should I be worried about this parish? I don’t know the priest and have only attended a few times, so I don’t think I can talk to him about it.
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Maybe you should do more research on the topic before accusing a priest of going completely against the teachings of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a good document to start with. Is it better to accuse a priest in a public forum or to talk to him and ask for an explanation?

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Well our Priest said that the Jews were the chosen people but that had been extended to all mankind, he didn’t say every religion, he said all man kind.
Man-kind can chose whether to accept or reject Salvation, so I don’t know if you’ve picked the priest up wrong or not.
 
It was tied in to the story of the wise men. He went out of his way to say that other religions receive salvation. He said everyone does. I understand that salvation is offered to everyone, and they can choose to accept it or not. That is not what was said. I’m really good at picking up on what people mean, and he meant that they will have eternal salvation.
 
Is it remotely possible you took his words out of context through misunderstanding him?
If you are clear on what he said, and know the difference; i.e., that some may refuse the chance for salvation, then you can rest that you have a good knowledge of Catholic truth. Beyond that, you are not in a position to do anything since you don’t know either him or his parish. Pray for him.
Should I be worried about this parish? I don’t know the priest and have only attended a few times, so I don’t think I can talk to him about it.
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psr13 said:
The priest at the church I have been attending was talking about salvation today. He said salvation is for everyone. He even said that people of oher religions receive it. From what I understand that is completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Should I be worried about this parish? I don’t know the priest and have only attended a few times, so I don’t think I can talk to him about it.
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" He said salvation is for everyone. He even said that people of oher religions receive it."

It is so important to use specific and clear words.

Salvation is offered to everyone. People of other religions can possibly be saved if they do not reject Christ, and are truly ignorant of the Gospel. But strive to live a good and pleasing life to God.
 
The should I be worried comment meant should I think about attending a different parish? I have many options. This is just the closest one.
 
psr13 said:
The should I be worried comment meant should I think about attending a different parish? I have many options. This is just the closest one.
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I would not make a judgement on one visit. I would call and ask to speak with him about something he said in his homily.
 
psr13 said:
The should I be worried comment meant should I think about attending a different parish? I have many options. This is just the closest one.
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I have done this before. I accussed a priest of being unCatholic in his homily. It is good to be grounded in the faith and pay close attention to the priests homily. Understand that the Catholic teaching is that Salvation is indeed for all men.

QUESTION:
Will all be saved? I think this is the question you need to ask this priest. Salvation is such an indepth topic, that one cannot possibly sum it up in a 15 minute homily. (Baptism, Faith, Obedience (works), sanctification, ect.) Any statement within any homily can be taken out of context. (I know this from experience) I would highly reccomend you set up an appointment with the priest if you are concerned about the unorthodoxy of his homily.
 
Read the Catechism. There is a whole big section on who is saved and who isn’t. It also states that those who have never heard of Christ are possibly subject to salvation.
 
The priest is right. That is the teaching of the Church. “No salvation outside of the Church” does not mean that only Catholics will be saved. It means that the Church is the vehicle for all grace to enter the world.
 
Like other posters have said, it would be good to talk to this priest to give him a chance to explain what he meant. Even if he is orthodox, it might be good for him to be aware of being vague or unintentionally misleading in what he says.
 
Since the OP said he does not know this priest, it is doubtful that one isolated homily can give indication that he is not teaching truthfully … especially since the content was devoted to the manifestation of Epiphany.

I have heard lectors make a mistake in leaving out a word from the reading that entirely changes the context of the meaning. It happens infrequently, and it is not intentional. Imagine the indignant listener in the pew running to the rectory with accusations of improper teaching; i.e., the lectionary is contaminated!

“He even said that people of other religions receive it.”

It seems to me the OP was not familiar with the doctrines defining ecumenism and salvation and this was perhaps the very basis for alarm.

And where does this general disrespect for priests originate? The media have done a pretty good number to create a spirit of distrust. Everything the priest says or does is now “suspect” by the ever-watchful eye of the laity.
 
Here’s the CCC which touches on this. 🙂

Wounds to unity

817 In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame."269 The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ’s Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism270 - do not occur without human sin:

Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.271

818 "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272

819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

Toward unity

820 "Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time."277 Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me."278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.279
 
psr13 said:
The priest at the church I have been attending was talking about salvation today. He said salvation is for everyone. He even said that people of oher religions receive it. From what I understand that is completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Should I be worried about this parish? I don’t know the priest and have only attended a few times, so I don’t think I can talk to him about it.
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Hi Ps, never feel you can’t go up and talk to the priest, it really doesn’t matter how long you have gone there. If it’s really something you are unsure about call the parish office and make an appointment to visit him. Also, you might want to get a copy of the catechism, along with some other good books that others might be able to suggest on here on the topic of salvation.
 
Joysong said:
My guess is that he was commenting on the significance of today’s feast, the Epiphany. If you remember the readings, they centered on the good news being extended to the gentiles, the “pagans” of those days. God had willed to include them in his plan of salvation.

Here is a good teaching of it from Pope JP II:
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This is great Joysong, thanks for pointing it out. I wasn’t aware of this. 🙂
 
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