Who is in communion with the true God?

[KevinV]

I was reading the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, and this passage brought up a rather heated discussion between myself and a coworker…

“All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with the paschal mystery (Part I, Ch. I, pp. 22-23) .”

I took this to mean that God reveals Himself to all, and all are invited to come to Him. But that the person needs to accept God as we know Him, and Jesus Christ as we know Him…our saviour.

My coworker says that all a person needs is to believe in some form of God, whether it be our God, Allah, the God of the Jehova’s Witness, Buddha, or anyone else that you deem to be a higher power, and try to be a good person. He says that is the true teaching of the Catholic Church…I can’t believe that.

What is the view of the Catholic Church on this and is there somewhere in the Catechism that you can point me for the reference?

Thanks ever so much.

 

[Nita]

The following chapters in the Catechism should help:

#839-848 and1257-1261 (#1260 in particular)

Nita

 

[KevinV]

I may have a big problem here then. Cathechism chapter 841 states that the Muslims are part of the plan of salvation. However, they reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and saviour, and see him only as a prophet. If our salvation comes through Jesus Christ, how can you reject Him, follow another (Mohammed), and still be saved?

 

[rpp]

Your friend is incorrect. That is not what the Catholic Church teaches. He appears to be espousing the heresy of Indifferentism. newadvent.org/cathen/07759a.htm

The Church has always taught that there is no salvation outside the Church. However, the Second Vatican Council clarified this by saying that those who have never heard the gospel yet earnestly seek with all that the natural world and natural law can show them about may receive some measure of God’s mercy in a way we do not understand.

By the way, is it not precisely correct to say that Christ died for all people. Christ himself said that his blood was shed for “many”. He never said “all”.

 

[Nita]

I may have a big problem here then. Cathechism chapter 841 states that the Muslims are part of the plan of salvation. However, they reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and saviour, and see him only as a prophet. If our salvation comes through Jesus Christ, how can you reject Him, follow another (Mohammed), and still be saved?

God’s plan of salvation includes all men. However, that does not mean that all men WILL be saved. We do know that it is God’s desire that all men be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Baptism and membership in the Catholic Church are no guarantee of salvation. Just as Paul noted regarding the Old Covenant that some of the gentiles because of their upright lives were circumcised in the heart, so the Church teaches something similar in regard to the New Covenant.

Rom 2:14 When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 2:15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them …2:26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

I think we should be praising God’s mercy to those less fortunate than us who have been given the great grace of belonging to His Church. With all the helps of true teaching, and the power we receive from sacramental graces to live according to that teaching, we have been given a big advantage over people of other faiths. It must be far more difficult to live in accord with God’s moral law without the benefits we enjoy (CCC#1860…But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. …). Love for them should inspire us to spread the faith.

Nita

 

[KevinV]

I have no problem with the scripture text, and the idea of someone who is not fortunate enough to hear of God and Christ still being able to be in communion with God and enjoy the fruits of salvation. However, not hearing the truth, and rejecting the truth are 2 different things. To not know of Jesus but desire to listen to the voice of God imprinted on your heart seems quite different to me from hearing of Jesus, rejecting Him, rejecting his Sonship, rejecting his authority, and following a false religion that was created around 600 years after Christ’s death on the cross for our salvation. The Muslims are not ignorant of Jesus’ existence, they reject his divinity.

 

[Nita]

I have no problem with the scripture text, and the idea of someone who is not fortunate enough to hear of God and Christ still being able to be in communion with God and enjoy the fruits of salvation. However, not hearing the truth, and rejecting the truth are 2 different things. To not know of Jesus but desire to listen to the voice of God imprinted on your heart seems quite different to me from hearing of Jesus, rejecting Him, rejecting his Sonship, rejecting his authority, and following a false religion that was created around 600 years after Christ’s death on the cross for our salvation. The Muslims are not ignorant of Jesus’ existence, they reject his divinity.

To reject the truth one has to know/recognize that what one is rejecting is the truth. Just hearing the words of the Christian message (specifically Catholic teaching) doesn’t automatically mean that it registers in the intellect and heart of the individual as “truth”. To know that the Catholic Church is the true Church and then to reject it is a grave/mortal sin. But, someone who has been born into another faith, taught that it is the truth by parents and religious leaders, and that other faiths are a lie, - that is entirely different. It must be very difficult to recognize that all he has been raised to believe is false. But if he truly seeks to live the faith he has, trying always to please God and do His will, the Church recognizes the possibility of his salvation. God knows what is in his heart; and who knows what what special graces of conversion God may bestow upon him in those last moments of his life.

One thing is certain - in heaven he will be Catholic!!! In the fullness of the beatific vision he will know that Jesus is God the Son. Presumably God will give him the knowledge of all the truths of Our Lord’s teaching.

Nita

 

[Genesis315]

The key term is good will. Someone has to acknowledge God, but if through no fault of theirs, they are ignorant of His Son or other truths about Him, but they desire and will to believe all God has revealed and do all He has commanded and to trust in Him completely, then they are united to the Church by desire and may be saved. Of course, this also implies repentance for sins, etc.

This is why the summary of the message of any missionary is “repent and believe in the Gospel, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Notice, repentance is first, which in the Bible usually means it is of the greatest importance.

Likewise, we can’t know who is in good faith or not, so we should always seek to persuade all people, even fellow Catholics, to constantly convert more and more to the truth.