The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church. (Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441.)
What makes us inside the Church? Three things: Divine and Catholic Faith (explicit in the principal mysteries the Trinity and the Incarnation and at least implicit in all other articles), sacramental baptism, and subjection to the Holy Father. These defining elements of Church membership expounded by St. Robert Bellarmine were authoritatively postulated by Pope Pius XII in Mystici Corporis:
Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed.
Who, then, can be saved?-- concluding paragraph (formatting mine), from the thread Who Can Be Saved?,by Cardinal Avery Dulles, found at Catholic Education Resource CenterCatholics can be saved if they believe the Word of God as taught by the Church and if they obey the commandments.
Other Christians can be saved if they submit their lives to Christ and join the community where they think he wills to be found.
Jews can be saved if they look forward in hope to the Messiah and try to ascertain whether Gods promise has been fulfilled.
Adherents of other religions can be saved if, with the help of grace, they sincerely seek God and strive to do his will.
Even atheists can be saved if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of truth and justice.Gods saving grace, channeled through Christ the one Mediator, leaves no one unassisted. But that same grace brings obligations to all who receive it. They must not receive the grace of God in vain. Much will be demanded of those to whom much is given.
Ver-””no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church. (Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441.) “”
Pope Eugine was obviously not defining special circumstances,ver.
Try explaining Saint Genesius of Arles who was declared baptized by Martyrdom
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5868
Excerpt...
“He requested baptism from a bishop, but for some unknown reason the prelate declined his petition, telling him that his likely martyrdom would obtain for him the baptism of desire. The bishop may have been in prison at the time and hence unable to baptize Genesius, but it is also possible that he refused out of cowardice. In any event, Genesius soon afterward suffered martyrdom by beheading
There is also Saint Victor of Braga who was merited baptism by his blood through martyrdom by refusing to worship and Idol and professing his love for Christ.
Are you prepared to go against Church teaching and deny that some canonized Saints are not in heaven?