Outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation??

Ask Father Murray Watson ^ | Father Murray

[rface]

It is important to remember that "the Church" in this phrase does not refer exclusively to the Roman Catholic Church. ....but rather it refers to the catholic (lower case) church.

[Governor StrangeReno]

Sorry any Christians I've ever met with a skeric of delegated authority claim descendency from the apostle Mark not Peter

[My2Cents]

"By grace you are saved through faith; it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

One is not saved through the church, but saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Elsewhere, the apostles teach that once one has accepted Christ, they are automatically added to the universal church of Jesus Christ (not a visible organization, but the invisible entity known as the Body of Christ). Hence, it is impossible to become saved, and not also become a member of the universal Body of Christ.

However, it is possible to attend a church building on Sundays, or whenever, even join many church organizations, and not be saved.

[kitkat]

Hey, rface, THANK YOU. I've known for a long time that the Catholic church teaches that anyone who lives a good life, whatever his religion, will be saved. I've never seen it put in words as well as this article.

I've long been upset by people quoting the saying in the Catholic church that, "If you believe the Catholic church to be the true church, but do not practice it's teachings, you will not be saved." That statement is often used to imply that Catholics believe only THEY will be saved. The opposite is the truth! The rest of the statement is that if you believe that the Baptist, Methodist, etc. church is the true church then you won't be saved if you don't follow their teachings. In other words, follow your conscience and you will be saved. Simple as that.

[k2blader]

Father Feeney was an American priest who, back in the 1940s, taught that if a person was not a Roman Catholic, they were condemned to hell. This has never been the accepted teaching of Catholicism, and Father Feeney was reprimanded by the Vatican for his mistaken understanding.

Never thought Catholics believed this in the first place, but great to learn for sure.

It is important to remember that "the Church" in this phrase does not refer exclusively to the Roman Catholic Church. Salvation is a great gift, and God is a loving Father who wants all of his children to receive it. How he works this out, however, we will only understand in heaven. That is why, whenever we quote "Outside the Church, there is no salvation", we should also remember that "God is in no way bound by the sacraments."

Nice, clean summary. And yes, the "Church" is made up of *all* those who have found Salvation in Christ, regardless of denomination.

[knarf]

Ecclesia .. the church ... the called out (from the world) body of believers.

Baptism is an ordinance and object of obedience, but not a needed part of/for salvation.

[SoothingDave]

It is important to remember that "the Church" in this phrase does not refer exclusively to the Roman Catholic Church.

Father Murray, whoever he might be, should examine the document of the Church from last year Dominus Iesus is he needs help defining the Church.

Suffice it to say that the Church in this phrase is none other than the Catholic one, the only one.

SD

[SoothingDave]

In other words, follow your conscience and you will be saved. Simple as that.

Why would Christ die for that? Pagan idol worshippers "follow their conscience." What poppycock.

SD

[rface]

sorry, I don't agree with much of what you have said...

I've known for a long time that the Catholic church teaches that anyone who lives a good life, whatever his religion, will be saved...that is NOT the stance of Christian/Catholic Churches, by definition. Christian/Catholic churches teach that salvation is found through Christ, NOT by deeds.

Ashland, Missouri

[AAABEST]

Gee, I've read 10 posts and haven't seen one of FRs many Catholic bashers yet.

I'm starting to worry that they saw a picture of the Pope over the holidays and all of their heads exploded.

[SoothingDave]

I've known for a long time that the Catholic church teaches that anyone who lives a good life, whatever his religion, will be saved. I've never seen it put in words as well as this article.

Don't believe it. Those who stay outside of the Catholic Church due to an INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE of the Church's necessity to salvation MAY be saved.

This is not the same as you or the errant priest here put it, that "anyone who lives a good life WILL be saved. If it were so easy for people to live "good" lives, to make themselves holy, why did God bother with the whole Christ thing?

SD

[Jack Barbara]

skeric?

[bookwurm]

Total disagreement. No man comes to the father except throught the son. What you have posted implies that Muslims who worship Allah are going to heaven just because they are listening to their consciences. You could use the same arguments for cults. Sometimes, people become debased or degenerate and so their consciences are no longer attuned. But in their OWN mind, they think they are on track. As the Scriptures say, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death." Maybe some of you good ol folk can give the scripture reference as it's slipped my mind. Amen

[Senator Pardek]

If Catholics really felt that way, they would have no choice but to hand out pamphlets, knock on doors, and scream on street corners like crazy men, as some other Christians do.

[JmyBryan]

Now you're gettin' there ...

[CCWoody]

In most cases, this means that we believe baptism in water, in the name of the Trinity, is the fundamental requirement for salvation.

Yet, another thread where one could get into trouble. Nearly every sentence spouting false teaching, heresy!

[stlrocket]

Mother Theresa: It's alway comforting to know that there is a safe place to go in the neighborhood.! See you there.

THE NUNS IN THE HOOD

[AlGone2001]

Until then, we continue to proclaim Jesus as Lord (evangelization) and engage in respectful dialogue with followers of other religions, to discover the truths that God had revealed to them to guide them toward salvation, and to share with them the truth as we have discovered it in Christ.

God is leading some toward salvation through other religions? This comes from a Christian? It's no wonder that the education system has become so liberal. The Christian educators can't even get salvation correct.

[Theresa]

"Why would Christ die for that? Pagan idol worshippers "follow their conscience." What poppycock. "

You should not be so smug. What if you had been born a Hindu? What if all your ancestors for centuries were Hindu and you loved them and respected them. What if the ties that bound you to them and to your land and culture were intertwined with Hinduism? Are you so smug as to think that just hearing the gospel once or twice could overcome all that conditioning?