Perhaps a Catholic scholar would help this Protestant understand. There is a passage in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that does state that other non-Catholic Christians can be received into heaven; if prodded I could produce the citation. How is that to be reconciled with today’s statement? Is the Pope changing the Catechism?
Of course not. He is re-iterating that other denominations are not "churches" as the term is properly understood by Catholic teaching.
But don't ask the Pope. Ask the Protestants themselves. Do they believe that their denomination re-presents the Sacrifice of Calvary and, by doing so, that this Sacrifice acts as the chanalle by which saving grace enters into our moment in space and time?
No, they don't.
Catholics do. That is what a "church" is. That's why Protestants do not have "churches." Now individual Protestans may be saved, but that is because of the grace brought into the world through the Mass.
No, the Church maintains that anyone who is validly baptized is a member of the Church, whether they separate themselves from communion or not.
The Church is one, and Christians participate in the Church fully (i.e. by being communicants of the Catholic Church) or defectively (being noncommunicant with the Catholic Church).
Jesus Christ ultimately judges who will gain heaven, and has mercy on whom He will.
The Catholic Church's position is that full membership in Christ's Church, i.e. the Catholic Church, is the only sure path to salvation - Christ may choose to save those who are separated from His Church, but don't count on it.
I’m no scholar, more a student. Bottom line is that all validly baptized persons are at least nominally Christian.. Protestant bodies are simply communities of Christians. The Orthodox churches are another story, since their bishops can be traced to the apostles and their sacraments are valid, but they are not in union with the Church of Rome.
Honest question. The Catechism section you referred to, stating that non-Catholics can be saved, is here
And no, the Pope isn't contradicting the Catechism.
I implore all good FReepers not to rely on Associated Press for interpretations of Catholic theology. I wouldn't trust their translations. Heck, I wouldn't even trust their page numbers.
It is by the common baptism that all Christian believers share which unite the different churches.