During the time of mass exodus simultaneous with the heresies that had been rampant in the ancient period, the Catholic Church had been compelled in the manner it taught such a doctrine that “Outside the Church there is no salvation.”
Instead of simply highlighting how God offers salvation from
Christ, through the Church, the Church has cautioned that there is no salvation
apart from Christ, outside His Church.
Brought by this misconception, the Catholic Church has
re-reformulated this teaching in an encouraging manner by an emphasis that “All
salvation comes Jesus the Head through the Church which is His body.”- Catechism
of the Catholic Church ccc#846
Does
this re-formulation harmonize with the Bible?
The
first part of the reformulated teaching, "All salvation comes from Christ
the Head” echoes Jesus’ own words accounted by Saint John, "I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6).
Does
this suffice the needs for salvation?
Jesus
offers more facets than just the words He quoted through the following Scriptural references, that:
- "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:16)
- "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3)
- "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." (John 6:54)
Jesus
links salvation correspondingly with baptism, confession and the Eucharist.
These sacraments are dispensed through the Church by a well-founded ordained
Priest so the sacrament of ordination must also be linked with salvation, which
is the primary function of the Catholic Church which is Jesus’ body.
Given
that the sacraments are the ordinary instruments through which Christ offers
the grace significant for salvation, and the Catholic Church that Jesus
instituted is the ordinary minister of those sacraments, it is fitting to
affirm that salvation origins through the Church.
This is similar to the situation that existed prior to the
establishment of the Catholic Church. Even before it was fully made known that
He was the Messiah, Jesus Himself taught that "salvation is from the
Jews" (John 4:22). He pointed the woman of Samaria to the body of believers
existing at that time, through which salvation would be offered to all mankind:
the Jews.
In the same manner, now that Jesus the Messiah has instituted His
Church, it could be logical to declare, "Salvation is from the
Catholics."
On a major consideration that Jesus established the Catholic
Church as significant for salvation, those who intentionally and freely refuse
Him or His Church cannot be saved, as the Scripture says, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not
gather with me scatters. " (Matthew 12:30). Moreover, it says that,
“If he (an errant brother) refuses to listen tell the Church If he refuses to listen even to the
church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17). St. Paul also cautioned that, " After a first and second
warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing that such a person is
perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned."
(Titus 3:10-11)
Given the above-mentioned, does it mean that non-Catholics are
going to hell?
The Church cherishes precision that God does not condemn those who
are naively unaware of the truth about His offer of salvation, as echoed in Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, “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.” (CCC847)
Vatican II document Gaudium Et Spesteaches, Chapter I, The Dignity of the Human Person likewise re-echoes on the possibility of salvation that, “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 this paschal mystery.”
This
doctrine is coherent with Jesus’ teaching about those who unknowingly reject Him, " If I had not come and spoken
to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their
sin" (John
15:22). Otherwise, one is blameworthy of rejecting it
in the presence of awareness of the truth, which is evident on Jesus’ words
to the Pharisees, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now
you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains." (John 9:41) .
Likewise,
Paul taught about the Gentiles -who are not aware of the law:
For
when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions
of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law.
They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their
conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them on the day when,
according to my gospel, God will judge people's hidden works through Christ
Jesus. (Romans 2:14-16)
Try
to be keen on St. Paul’s words cautiously chosen: "Their conflicting
thoughts accuse or perhaps defend them." He did not say that those who are
naively unaware of the truth will be save but merely maintains on its possibility.
In
the same way St. Paul wrote, “Does God belong to Jews alone? Does He not belong
to Gentiles, too? Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one and will justify the
circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” (Romans 3:29-30).
In
conclusion, by His immeasurable love, God brought in salvation on a global scale but not exclusively on a
particular race, through His chosen people, the Jews. God’s revelation to the
Jews originated its accomplishment in Jesus, the Messiah, who instituted the
Catholic Church. The grace that is indispensable for salvation continues to
spring from Jesus, through His Church. Anyone who is naively unaware and
embrace this might still attain salvation but those who deliberately and
eagerly desire to discard it, discards salvation on God’s terms.
References:
- https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=25567, Mass exodus continues from German Catholic Church, Catholic World News - July 17, 2015
- http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-great-heresies, The Great Heresies
- Catechism of the Catholic, Church, http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#846
- New American Bible, http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PXM.HTM
- Fr. Echert, Question from Spencer Williams on 01-08-2004, http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage_print.asp?number=387428&language=en
- Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium Et Spes Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html
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