note the 'do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart". I think it’s pretty much a given that a Christian who is not Catholic knows the Gospel of Christ and that such a person seeks God with a sincere heart. Notice the CCC says “know the Gospel of Christ OR his Church”. He didn’t write “AND His Church”. This was an acknowledgement by the Pope that there are many different Christian religions and though the Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth, the others lead people to Christ as well.
The Catholic Church does not, nor can it teach there are many paths to God. I’m sorry you seem to be the only one here who thinks this, but that ought to give you a clue your wrong.
“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”
The ONE church is the mediator and the way of Salvation! Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the CC was founded as necassary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter of remain in it.
Pretty much sums it up
I believe, you believe, your Priest told you what you claim here, but the fact is its incorrect in the Catechism, Doctrine and Dogma of the Church.
Catholic dogma is well known: that one cannot be saved outside the Catholic Church, and that those who knowingly rebel against the teaching and authority of the Church cannot obtain eternal salvation. {Pope Pius} IX Letter Quanto conficiamur maerore, August 10, 1863,}
First error: “Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true.” (Proposition XV).
Second error: “Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation and arrive at eternal salvation.” (Proposition XVI).
Third error: “Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ.” (Proposition XVII).
Fourth error: “Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church.” (Proposition XVIII). [Pius IX: Principal errors concerning the Church, Syllabus, Dec. 8, 1884 (CH 260-263)]
“Surely, Catholics desire nothing so much as the disappearance from among Christians of all schisms and dissensions, and that all should be eager to keep unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. That is why the Catholic Church prays and invites the faithful to pray to Almighty God that all those who have left the holy Roman Church may be converted to the true faith, may abjure their errors, and return in grace to her fold, outside of which there is no salvation. Moreover, she prays and orders prayers that all men may come, with the help of God’s grace, to the knowledge of truth. But that Christians and ecclesiastics should pray for Christian unity under the direction of heretics and, what is worse, according to an intention which is radically impregnated and vitiated by heresy, this is absolutely impossible to tolerate.”
[Letter from the Holy Office, Sept. 16, 1864 to the English Episcopate (CH 254)].
You know you could start another Thread on this in the Catholic section of this forum. But you need to be not so, defensive because I assure you, the many paths theory is not Catholic Teaching. And your simply not going to find Catholics who agree with you. Its impossible. As more post you will at some point conclude your wrong, because their is no contrary Catholic teaching. It doesn’t exist.
God Bless, Gary
