Salvation: Inside and Outside the Catholic Church

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frankly
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Frankly

Guest
I understand there is no Salvation other than within the Catholic Church. It is also my understanding, searching the History of the Catholic church, there are many Saints and Popes who have declared there is Salvation “Inside” and “Outside” the Church, as was provided by Jesus, through the words of “Faith”, ie., “Arise and Walk, Your Faith has Saved You”. I have heard many exceptions to this. Is there a Historical Theologian who can give a somewhat more positive position to this subject, than I have, as a convert to the Catholic Church? I am a convert prior to Echumenical II.
 
Actually, here is the teaching of the Church, found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, of happy memory, as a “sure norm for teaching the faith:”

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

And further, from the Catechism:

838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist."324
 
Many Protestants can likely be saved, by being Catholic.

When an infant is saved, I mean baptised, in an “ecclesiastical community”, that infant is, as far as even you Catholics can be concerned, judged by God as a regenerate person who is in a state of grace at least until he reaches the age of reason. So yay for Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, I guess, and all other baptisers of babies. In other words, the original sin is forgiven, and the baby has no use of reason, so mortal sin is not an issue for at least several years. Of course, it must be a valid baptism. I’ll not name any names, but some just aren’t sanctioned by the Holy Spirit.

However, the EENS topic has been hashed out here time and time again, just do a search here. I’m sure it will be hashed out again in this thread, which is perfectly allright.

It’s true, there is no salvation “Outside the Catholic Church” but what “outside the Church” means and just how people “find the Church” is being reformulated, especially since, how do you say it, “echumenical II.” Does that mean that you call Vatican I “echumenical I?”

I guess I need to change my name…
 
Reformed Rob:
It’s true, there is no salvation “Outside the Catholic Church” but what “outside the Church” means and just how people “find the Church” is being reformulated, especially since, how do you say it, “echumenical II.” Does that mean that you call Vatican I “echumenical I?”

I guess I need to change my name…
Click to expand...
Yes, one wonders if there is an agenda in the question.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top