The book Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi indicate many present day Franciscans are on the way to Hell for heresy.
The Rector Mons. Natale Loda normally proclaims Jesus without the Catholic Church; Jesus without the necessity of the Church for salvation.
Wikipedia will not mention that the 'rigorist interpretation' of the dogma is the official teaching of the Church, in the present and past, and was an important part of the teaching of St.Francis of Assisi.Nor will this be mentioned in homilies throughout Italy today his feast day and where St. Francis is the Patron Saint.
In the Little Flowers of St. Francis by Bro.Ugolino in the 1300’s, there is a reference to some of the Friars on the way to Hell for heresy.Often there is a warning of Hell.
There is no lollipop brother sun-sister moon in this aspect of Francis’s teaching.
Francis loved the Church. He chose to become a Deacon. He had the highest levels of Mystical Experience within the Catholic Church.
He received the stigmata of Our Lord and believed everyone with no exception needs to be a formal member of the Catholic Church, Jesus’ Mystical Body, to go to Heaven and avoid Hell. This was his ‘dialogue’ when he met the Muslim Sultan in Jerusalem.
He did not tell the Sultan that he did not have to convert because he was in invincible ignorance or had the baptism of desire.
Francis believed that the Sultan and all Muslims are on the way to Hell.The Church today in Vatican Council II teaches the same rigorist interpretation of extra ecclesiam nulla salus held by St. Francis of Assisi.
Also other Church documents say the same.Therefore, all must be converted to Him, made known by the Church's preaching, and all must be incorporated into Him by baptism and into the Church which is His body. For Christ Himself "by stressing in express language the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5), at the same time confirmed the necessity of the Church, into which men enter by baptism, as by a door.-Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II.
Above all else, it must be firmly believed that “the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5), and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door”.77 This doctrine must not be set against the universal salvific will of God (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); “it is necessary to keep these two truths together, namely, the real possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind and the necessity of the Church for this salvation”-Dominus Iesus 20.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church would incorporate the same rigorist interpretation of the saint who loved all nature and was one with the universe.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says Outside the Church there is no salvation means 1) all who are saved, are saved by Jesus and the Catholic Church (CCC 846) and 2) everyone needs to be a formal member of the Catholic Church with no exception for salvation (CCC 845).
The Sultan was outside the Church Francis knew, but at his death would be baptized.
At his deathbed four Friars appeared and baptized him with water. When he went to Heaven he was a Catholic.
How did the four Franciscans suddenly appear there and then escape with their life?
It is rare when a person is saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance. The Church says it happens ‘in certain circumstances’ (Letter of the Holy Office 1949). St. Thomas Aquinas says if there is a man in the forest ignorant of the Gospel God will send someone to preach to him and baptize him. Lumen Gentium 16, Vatican Council II tells us that a person in invincible ignorance can be saved, who is not a visible, formal member of the Church.Could this be what happened to the Sultan to whom St. Francis of Assisi preached Jesus Christ as the only Saviour of the world? The Son of God who is the only way to Heaven.
Francis would call sin, sin. Mortal sin was always mortal sin. This same teaching is repeated in Pope John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor, showing present day Catholics that there is no change in moral theology and the rules to avoid Hell are still the same.
Francis was so particular about avoiding venial sin it was as if his love for Jesus was perfect or he had actually seen the souls in Hell.
Francis preached the truth, which was hard in his times, as it is today; which is, most people are on the way to Hell because they do not have Catholic Faith.
Also may ‘Catholics’ are on the way to Hell for the sin of heresy like some of the Franciscans whom St. Francis of Assisi mentioned.
Today there will be many people at Assisi where Francis’ body lies. They will also remember St. Clare.
Francis- so easy to admire, but difficult to emulate.
___________________________________________
Posts
