salvation of non christians

[aarodad]

Hi
I Believe That If Someone Sincerely Wants Truth God Will Somehow Get Them The Message Of Salvation Thru Christ. However I Do Not Believe That Someone Can Be Saved By Being A Good Jew, Or Hindu,etc. In Other Words I Do Not Believe That If Someone Follows The Dictates Of Islam The Best They Can That They Will Be Saved Automatically Because After All They Were Sincere. Is That Consistent With Catholic Teaching?

Michael

 

[St_Benedict]

Who belongs to the Catholic Church?

836 "All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God. . . . And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God’s grace to salvation."320

837 "Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion - are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but ‘in body’ not ‘in heart.’"321

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

The Church and non-Christians

839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325

The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,326 "the first to hear the Word of God."327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”,328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."329

840 And when one considers the future, God’s People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.

841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day."330

842 The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:

All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .331

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."332

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#836

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Everyone will be given an oppurtunity to recieve salvation. Its not the fact that one never heard of Christ that is going to send them to hell,it,s their sins that will condem them. God Bless

 

[Robert_in_SD]

aarodad:

Hi
I Believe That If Someone Sincerely Wants Truth God Will Somehow Get Them The Message Of Salvation Thru Christ. However I Do Not Believe That Someone Can Be Saved By Being A Good Jew, Or Hindu,etc. In Other Words I Do Not Believe That If Someone Follows The Dictates Of Islam The Best They Can That They Will Be Saved Automatically Because After All They Were Sincere. Is That Consistent With Catholic Teaching?

Michael

Yes, if what you mean is that one can knowingly consider and then reject the Christian faith to follow another faith. But there is hope of salvation for those who are invincibly ignorant in their disbelief, but sincerely seek God, and to do His will. Do you see the distinction?

Here’s another short quote from the Catechism that tries to explain the Church’s teaching that “Outside the Church there is no salvation…”

**“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

336 LG 14; cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5.
337 LG 16; cf. DS 3866-3872.
338 AG 7; cf. Heb 11:6; 1 Cor 9:16.

 

[aarodad]

Thanks For The Help. Let Me Make Sure I Have It Straight. I Understand That People Do Not Go To Hell Because They Have Not Heard About Christ But Because They Are Sinners. Am I Also Correct In Saying, For Eg, A Good Hindu May Do His Religion Well But Not Really Be Searching For Truth And Therefore Not Be Given Eternal Life,or Perhaps A Special Revelation From God At The Time Of His Death Concerning The Savior. Jesus Said: To Those Who Have Will More Be Given. According To The Church Does That Mean If You Are Really Hungering For Truth And Doing Your Best To Live Up To What You Have ( As Corneilious Did) God Will Some How (like Peter With Cornelous) Get You The Message Of Christ So That You Can Believe It( Rom. 1:16 The Gospel Is The Power Of God For Salvation For Those Who Have Faith). Am I On Track Or Not. Thanks For Your Help.

Michael