[Romish_Papist]

Have you read Arinze's comments about salvation outside of Christ? If so, what is your take on them? The comments were a serious let down for me as I admire the man greatly.

[Petronski]

I have read of those comments, but I don't want to judge them until I can read a detailed explanation of how such a conclusion might have been reached.

[Romulus]

I haven't heard of this till just now. If it's as you say, it's a cause for concern. Still, there's a lot of misunderstanding about "salvation outside the Church", so I wouldn't want to pre-judge Arinze without having seen what he said. Remember, the document Dominus Iesus issued by Cardinal Ratzinger in 2000 explicitly allows the (theoretical, but problematical) possibility of salvation for non-Catholics and even non-Christians. The does not mean that Jesus would not be their savior too (He is the only savior). It does not mean they are at liberty to disregard Christianity when it is made known to them (they are not). It does mean that God is not limited by means visible to men, and that those wom He chooses in His mercy to save are joined to the Church in a mysterious way we don't understand.

[murphE]

The comments were a serious let down for me as I admire the man greatly.

When people meet in inter-religious dialog, the end isn't to convince the other person to cross over to my religion. If that is the end, it not inter-religious dialog. It is a debate, or an argument, friendly or otherwise. On the other hand, we hold that people who meet in inter-religious discussion and reflection should be open to conversion in another sense -- conversion to God, in the sense of openness to God; that is, the action of God in us. After all, religion is not what we achieve in our Catholic belief; it is merely what God works in us if only we will allow God to do so. -- CARDINAL FRANCIS ARINZE

Stuff like this certainly doesn't impress me.