The Italian priest who offered the 9 am Mass today morning at the Basilica of St. Mary Majors on the feast day of St. Maximillian Kolbe said it was possible to have another interpretation of Vatican Council II with reference to the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. He is the second priest this week who has agreed that it is possible
Don Settimo offered the Novus Ordo Mass in Italian in the Salus Populi Romani chapel of the Basilica agreed that there were two interpretations of Vatican Council II.
The first was: everyone needs to enter the Catholic Church for salvation (Ad Gentes 7) except for those in invincible ignorance, the baptism of desire etc (LG 16).
He agreed with the second interpretation. Fr.Lucas Dempsey O.P at St. Mary Majors also agreed with the second interpretation.
However he still uses the first interpretation for understanding the dogma.
I showed him the text of the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus (Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441). He said that it was true that the text of the dogma says that everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church however we have to interpret it according to Vatican Council II i.e. they can be saved who have a genuine longing (Baptism of Desire) and are in invincible ignorance through no fault of their own.
So factually the dogma does say that everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church Fr. Settimo agreed.
Here is the text:
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/
We do not know any case of explicit Baptism of desire I said. He agreed. Only God can judge.
So why has implicit Baptism of Desire to be placed in opposition, as an exception, to everyone needing Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water, with no exceptions, for salvation?
He agreed we could have a second interpretation of Vatican Council II i.e. everyone needing to be a formal member of the Catholic Church and there were no exceptions. If anyone has the Baptism of Desire, is in invincible ignorance or has a good conscience it is known only to God.
So the infallible teaching is in accord with AG 7 and LG 16.Since LG 16 refers to implicit invincible ignorance it is not in opposition to the ex cathedra teaching.
In principle we can accept the teaching of the dogma, he said, i.e. all non Catholics need to enter the Catholic Church to avoid Hell however in particular cases, finally only God can judge. We cannot judge concretely.
Those who know about Jesus and the Church and yet do not enter it they will have to give an account before Jesus on the Day of Judgment, for this lapse, Fr. Settimo said.
I asked if it meant all Muslims, Jews and other non Catholics in Rome, thousands of them are on the way to Hell? Since they are educated and know about the Church.
He said those who know and yet do enter are guilty but we cannot say all of them are guilty since some could not really know.
Similarly those non Catholics who are participating in inter religious dialogue and ecumenism were all on the way to Hell, I said, since they are educated and informed. He smiled but was not ready to answer yes. His answered seemed: “We don’t know. It is not a black and white issue. It’s only known to God.”
I emphasized that through the dogma the Catholic Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit was saying all Muslims and Jews in Rome, in general, are on the way to Hell. This assumes that they have the mark of Adam, Original Sin and they have not responded to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within them, which enlightens everyone’s conscience’.
Fr. Settimo agreed that everyone knows the moral law but was not willing to say like St. Maximillian Kolbe that all Protestants and non Catholics in general were on the way to Hell at the time of death.
If there were any exceptions only God would know.(In general, means in principle (dejure) most or all of them exempting those in invincible ignorance etc. However de facto (in reality) all of them are on the way to Hell (ex cathedra Cantate Domino).
During the Mass Intentions Fr. Settimo prayed for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, who manage the Basilica, and follow the spirituality of St. Maximillian Kolbe.
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