The founder of the Society of St. Pius X was correct when he said that souls can be saved in a religion other than the Catholic religion (Protestantism, Islamism, Buddhism etc) however this is only a possibility, de jure ‘in certain circumstances’ (Letter of the Holy Office 1949).Otherwise,we know everyone with no exception needs to enter the Catholic Church to avoid Hell ((Ex cathedra extra ecclesiam nulla salus, Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II, Catechism of the Catholic Church n.836, Dominus Iesus 20 etc).This is the Catholic deposit of faith.
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Against the Heresies, p. 216:
“Evidently, certain distinctions must be made. Souls can be saved in a religion other than the Catholic religion (Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.), but not by this religion. There may be souls who, not knowing Our Lord, have by the grace of the good Lord, good interior dispositions, who submit to God...But some of these persons make an act of love which implicitly is equivalent to baptism of desire. It is uniquely by this means that they are able to be saved.”[Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Against the Heresies, Angelus Press, 1997, p. 216]
Bishop Lefebvre, Address given at Rennes, France: “If men are saved in Protestantism, Buddhism or Islam, they are saved by the Catholic Church, by the grace of Our Lord, by the prayers of those in the Church, by the blood of Our Lord as individuals, perhaps through the practice of their religion, perhaps of what they understand in their religion, but not by their religion…”[Quoted in Bro. Robert Mary, Fr. Feeney and the Truth About Salvation, p. 213]
He says perhaps since this is an area of speculation. The gift of the Baptism of Desire is exceptional and known only to God. It cannot be explicitly given as the Baptism of water.
Pages 217-218: “This is then what Pius IX said and what he condemned. It is necessary to understand the formulation that was so often employed by the Fathers of the Church: ‘Outside the Church there is no salvation.’ When we say that, it is incorrectly believed that we think that all the Protestants, all the Moslems, all the Buddhists, all those who do not publicly belong to the Catholic Church go to hell. Now, I repeat, it is possible for someone to be saved in these religions, but they are saved by the Church, and so the formulation is true: Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. This must be preached.”[Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Against the Heresies, pp. 217-218]
That they can be saved is only a possibility, it is not de facto.If it was de facto then it would contradict the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus which says everyone needs to explicitly be a visible member of the Catholic Church to avoid Hell. There are no exceptions.
There is a book Is Feeneyism Catholic written by Fr.Fancois Laisney SSPX and sold by the Society of St.Pius X publishers Angelus Press. It is advertised on the internet.
The Society of St.Pius X ( SSPX) religious leaders are praised for saying everyone needs to enter the Catholic Church for salvation but the SSPX still uses the mantra ‘ except for those in invincible ignorance and the baptism of desire’.
1.Is the SSPX saying that the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus states that everyone explicitly, de facto needs to be a member of the Catholic Church-but those who are in invincible ignorance or have the baptism of desire are explicit, de facto cases and so do not need to enter the church for salvation?
2. Is the SSPX saying that Lumen Gentium 16 refers to implicit or explicit salvation?
3. Is there an explicit baptism of desire?
4. When the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the Fr. Peter C.Phan case said entry into the Church is necessary for salvation ‘except for those in invincible ignorance or the baptism of desire’ is it considered heresy for the SSPX?
5. In the Boston Case Archbishop Richard Cushing and the Jesuits considered the baptism of desire and invincible ignorance as explicit, knowable, and judgable and an exception to the infallible teaching. Should not the Boston Case be reviewed?
Would the SSPX agree if I said that everyone needs to be an explicit member (with the baptism of water and Catholic Faith) of the Catholic Church to avoid Hell and those who are in invincible ignorance or have the baptism of desire, will be known only to God?
There have been appeals to the Vatican to reopen the Boston Case. Since, Fr. Leonard Feeney said there is no baptism of desire. He was correct there is no explicit baptism of desire. The ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus as interpreted by the popes, Councils and saints said the same.
De jure in principle there is a Baptism of Desire understood by Fr.Leonard Feeney and the present Saint Benedict Center. It includes the desire for the Baptism of water. However this is accepted in principle. It is understood as implicit, a grace of God and only known to God.
De facto there is no baptism of desire that we can know of.So the Richard Cushing doctrine (explicit baptism of desire) is not part of the Catholic deposit of faith.
The secular media claim that Fr. Leonard Feeney was excommunicated for heresy. He was excommunicated for disobedience. He did not go to Rome when called. He was also disobedient to the Archbishop who never affirmed the dogma in public nor corrected the secular newspapers which stated that the Catholic Church has changed its teaching on extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is presently in closed-door negotiations with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,Vatican to ascertain Catholic doctrine. Yet the SSPX itself could be in heresy according to its website and reports by SSPX priests including Fr.Laisney.
If the SSPX does not interpret Lumen Gentium 16 as referring to de jure, implicit salvation, then it is the Kung Deception. If they interpret Lumen Gentium 16 as referring to something defacto-personally-knowable then it is heresy.
If they do not see the Baptism of Desire as implicit then they would contradict the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
The dogma refers to explicit entry into the Catholic Church, through the baptism of water and Catholic Faith, which is explicit and objectively verifiable.
The SSPX has been saying correctly that everyone needs to enter the Catholic Church for salvation but have also been using the mantra ‘except for those in invincible ignorance and the baptism of desire’.
It would be rational to say everybody(all non Catholics) with no exception need to enter the Catholic Church for salvation (to avoid Hell) and those who are in invincible ignorance or have the baptism of desire known only to God and He only will judge them.
Here is the ex cathedra dogma.
1. “There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved.” (Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215). Ex Cathedra
2. “We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” (Pope Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 302.). Ex Cathedra
3.“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.) Ex Cathedra
The SSPX needs to clarify its position in public. I have written to them but I get no reply.
The Baptism of Desire is always implicit. It is hypothetical, subjective and de jure.So how can the Baptism of desire and invincible ignorance contradict the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus i.e. everybody needs to be an explicit member of the Catholic Church to be saved? And if it did not contradict the dogma it would mean every Jew, Muslim or Buddhist is on the way to Hell.The infallible teaching says everyone explicitly needs the baptism of water to avoid Hell. It says everyone needs Catholic Faith, which is objective, it has to be learnt and one’s knowledge can be tested explicitly.
So the mantra is a deception when it suggests the baptism of water and invincible ignorance are explicit and can be judged in specific persons.
One cannot say that everyone needs explicit faith for salvation, with no exceptions, according to the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and at the same time say, that people can be saved explicitly through the baptism of desire.
However one can say that everyone needs explicit faith according to the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and at the same time say that people can be saved implicitly, in principle, as a theory, a concept, through the baptism of desire.
So Fr. Leonard Feeney said what popes, Councils and saints over the centuries repeated that everybody needs to explicitly be a member of the Catholic Church to be saved.
The dogma above does not say that only those who know can be saved or those who are in invincible ignorance do not have to enter the Church.
So the Letter of the Holy Office was endorsing the infallible teaching as it is and so was Fr.Leonard Feeney.
It is said that Fr. Leonard Feeney rejected the baptism of desire and so was a heretic. He was saying that there is no baptism of desire that one can know of explicitly. Explicit baptism of desire is the Richard Cushing heresy. It is contrary to the principle of non contradiction.
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1. What does the Magisterium teach?
The Magisterium teaches that everyone with no exception needs to explicitly enter the Catholic Church through Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water to go to Heaven and avoid Hell (Ex cathedra extra ecclesiam nulla salus, Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II, Catechism of the Catholic Church n.836, Dominus Iesus 20 etc).
2.Lumen Gentium 16, Vatican Council II contradicts the above teaching (1)?
No, since LG 16 refers to those saved implicitly and not explicitly. Those with the baptism of desire, genuine invincible ignorance and a good conscience are known to God only. They are always implicit and subjective cases.There are no de facto cases of baptism of desire that we know of.
3.The Holy Spirit is also present in non-Catholic religions?
Yes, in only the good and holy things. There are also ‘errors, deficiencies and superstition’(Dominus Iesus) in these religions where the Holy Spirit cannot be present.Whatever good is found in these religions are a preparation for the Gospel, the members of these religions are oriented towards the Catholic Church and are all called to be members(Notification,Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith relative to Fr. Jacques Dupuis S.J , 2001)
4.Does everyone have to become a visible member of the Catholic Church for salvation?
The dogma says everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church for salvation.Pope Pius XII called it the 'infallible' teaching.
Now, among those things which the Church has always preached and will never cease to preach is contained also that infallible statement by which we are taught that there is no salvation outside the Church.
However, this dogma must be understood in that sense in which the Church herself understands it. For, it was not to private judgments that Our Savior gave for explanation those things that are contained in the deposit of faith, but to the teaching authority of the Church.- (Letter of the Holy Office 1949). Emphasis added.
Here it is:
1. “There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved.” (Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215). Ex cathedra.
2. “We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” (Pope Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302.).Ex cathedra.
3.“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.) Ex cathedra – from the website Catholicism.org and “No Salvation outside the Church”: Link List, the Three Dogmatic Statements Regarding EENS http://nosalvationoutsideofthecatholicchurch.blogspot.com/
5.Only those who know and do not enter will go to Hell?
They will definitely go to Hell according to Ad Gentes7,Vatican Council II. However all non Catholics are oriented to Hell unless they explicitly convert into the Catholic Church.If there are any among them any who are in invincible ignorance etc it will known only to God.
Lionel Andrades, Catholic layman
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