“There is no salvation outside the Church Christ founded. That Church is the Catholic Church (and the Orthodox but that discussion is outside this debate.)
Anyone who is validly baptized is baptized into the Church. Therefore they can attain salvation. I know how Catholics who lose the state of Grace they receive in baptism by mortal sin can be returned to a state of Grace. That is through sacramental confession. I do not know how non-Catholics who fall from the state of grace through mortal sin can return to a state of grace outside of the means Christ instituted in scripture, i.e., sacrental confession. I do know that those who die not in a state of grace cannot attain heaven so I do fear for the salvation of those outside the Catholic (and Orthodox) communion who commit grave sin.
To characterize basic Catholic belief as offensive is nothing new. What is new is a Catholic pope who is willing to once again state that outside the Church there is no salvation. We’ve lived with false ecumenism so long that non Catholics are shocked and offended now when they hear true ecumenism. In other words the problem isn’t that the pope said what he said, the problem is that what he said has been said so rarely these past 50 years due to false ecumenism.”
AMEN!!! You speak the Truth! May this Pope continue to speak courageously!
This new Pope is a man of contradictions, who you can love one moment and who can really get under your skin(washing women's feet at Holy Thursday mass, which commemorates the institution of the all male priesthood?!?) the next.
Despite his liturgical indifference, though I am a trad, I don’t agree with the trad Catholics attacking Pope Francis. I can’t give a good theological reason why, so this is going to be my theme song for this pontificate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Adqy-FPuVI