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One of the many 20th Century examples of the continuity of this teaching is found in The Catechism of Pope Saint Pius X. Here we read, “Outside the true Church are: Infidels, Jews, heretics, apostates, schismatics and excommunicated persons.” It states further, “No one can be saved outside the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, just as no one could be saved from the flood outside the Ark of Noah, which was a figure of the Church.”

In fact, St. Pius X taught the same as JP II, as is clear from this excerpt from the Pius X Catechism:

29 Q: But if a man through no fault of his own is outside the Church, can he be saved?
A: If he is outside the Church through no fault of his, that is, if he is in good faith, and if he has received Baptism, or at least has the implicit desire of Baptism; and if, moreover, he sincerely seeks the truth and does God's will as best he can such a man is indeed separated from the body of the Church, but is united to the soul of the Church and consequently is on the way of salvation.

The Church is the citadel of the Lord. Those outside are explosed to great danger, but if they are trying to get inside, then they will. Meanwhile, many of the Baptised are flying from its protection.

***If he is outside the Church through no fault of his, that is, if he is in good faith, and if he has received Baptism, or at least has the implicit desire of Baptism; and if, moreover, he sincerely seeks the truth and does God's will as best he can such a man is indeed separated from the body of the Church, but is united to the soul of the Church and consequently is on the way of salvation.***

I find it interesting that there is no mention of the absolute requirement of having the Spirit of God living within one in order to be saved.

Paul was quite clear about this...

"Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." - Rom 8

The about makes it sound like all one needs is good intentions. Good intentions will save no one.

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail."
Jonh 6:63

Cut and paste all you like, but honest people interested in unbiased knowledge tend to believe their eyes and ears... and the truth.

The truth is that John Paul was far more focused on his own musings and the Vatican II ethos than he was 2,000 years of established church teaching.

One thing that galls me the most is the fact that he wrote his own Catechism and made it the standard of the faith.... to the point of the Catechisms of Trent and Baltimore becomming irrelevant in most circles. These great works are treated as if they are some sort of subversive material forcing interested Catholics to aquire them from backwoods traditional sources - no catechism classes use them anymore.

This is nothing short of shameful. As if all of the great knowledge and divine guidence we've garnered are moot in to now be replaced by John Paul's very own catechism... wise Polish philosopher that he was.