The Friars Minors in New York who produce the magazine Seraph have placed the following quotation on the internet.
THE SALVATION OF NON CATHOLICS
Letter of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office August 8, 1949, to the Archbishop of Boston.
(Controversy which arose at Boston College on the subject of the axiom, "Outside the Church there is no salvation.")
We are bound by divine and Catholic faith to believe all those things which are contained in the word of God, whether it be Scripture or Tradition, and are proposed by the Church to be believed as divinely revealed, not only through solemn judgment but also through the ordinary and universal teaching office.
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.
(Note: The ‘dogma’ the ‘infallible’ teaching is Cantate Domino, Council of Florence defined by Pope Eugene IV, 1441.)
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.
Note :Fr.Leonard Feeney taught that every non Catholic in Boston needed to enter the Church formally for salvation and there were no exceptions. This was the message of Cantate Domino. So he could not have been excommunicated for heresy.(Also see Ad Gentes 7, Catechism of the Catholic Church 845,846, Dominus Iesus 20 ).
(The text specifies Jews, Protestants and Orthodox Christians. It says if they do not enter the Church they will not receive salvation. The only way they could enter the Church is through Catholic Faith and the baptism of water. This is the ordinary way. They could not enter the Church through the baptism of desire since this was a grace given by God. It cannot be administered like the baptism of water.)
Now, in the first place, the Church teaches that in this matter there is question of a most strict command of Jesus Christ. For He explicitly enjoined on his apostles to teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever He Himself had commanded.
(Note: ‘ Go out and preach the Good News’, ‘…those who do not believe will be condemned’-Mark 16:16 )
Obligation to enter the Church
Now, among the commandments of Christ, that one holds not the least place, by which we are commanded to be incorporated by Baptism into the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church, and to remain united to Christ and to his Vicar, through whom He Himself in a visible manner governs the Church on earth.
Therefore, no one will be saved who, knowing the Church to have been divinely established by Christ, nevertheless refuses to submit to the Church or withholds obedience from the Roman pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth.
Not only did the Savior command that all nations should enter the Church, but He also decreed the Church to be a means of salvation, without which no one can enter the kingdom of eternal glory.
The "desire" may suffice
In his infinite mercy God has willed that the effects, necessary for one to be saved, of those helps to salvation which are directed toward man's final end, not by intrinsic necessity, but only by divine institution, can also be obtained in certain circumstances when those helps are used only in desire and longing. This we see clearly stated in the Sacred Council of Trent, both in reference to the Sacrament of Baptism and in reference to the Sacrament of Penance.
The same in its own degree must be asserted of the Church, in as far as she is the general help to salvation. Therefore, that one may obtain eternal salvation, it is not always required that he be incorporated into the Church actually as a member, but it is necessary that at least he be united to her by desire and longing.
The implicit "desire"
However, this desire need not always be explicit, as it is in catechumens; but when a person is involved in invincible ignorance, God accepts also an implicit desire, so called because it is included in that good disposition of soul whereby a person wishes his will to be conformed to the will of God.
(Note: The Letter mentions an implicit desire. We can only accept implicit desire as a probability, something that is possible. We accept it 'in principle' because of its very nature. It is known only to God and unknown to us.So we do not know any de facto case of a person saved with implicit desire. So it cannot contradict Cantate Domino.)
These things are clearly taught in that dogmatic letter which was issued by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Pius XII, on June 29, 1948, "On the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ". For in this letter the Sovereign Pontiff clearly distinguishes between those who are actually incorporated into the Church as members, and those who are united to the Church only by desire.
(Note: There are those who are incorporated into the Church with Catholic Faith and the baptism of water. This is explicit. There are those who are incorporated into the Church only by desire and this is known only to God. We cannot imply that we know such cases and so this contradicts the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.)
Discussing the members of which the Mystical Body is composed here on earth, the same August Pontiff says: "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".
Toward the end of this same Encyclical Letter, when most affectionately inviting to unity those who do not belong to the body of the Catholic Church, he mentions those who "are related to the Mystical Body of the Redeemer by a certain unconscious yearning and desire", and these he by no means excludes from eternal salvation,
(Note: Those who 'are related to the Mystical Body of the Redeemer by a certain unconscious yearning and desire' are not excluded from eternal salvation. However they are known to God only .Also the baptism of desire is not the ordinary means of salvation.The ordinary means of salvation is the baptism of water and Catholic Faith. Since we cannot know on earth who they are, with that 'yearning and desire' we cannot infer that they contradict Cantate Domino.
So Fr.Leonard Feeney was correct in infering that there is no baptism of desire that we know of and everyone with no exception needs to formally enter the Church to avoid Hell.This was the teaching in the text of Cantate Domino.)
but on the other hand states that they are in a condition "in which they cannot be sure of their salvation" since "they still remain deprived of those many heavenly gifts and helps which can only be enjoyed in the Catholic Church".
With these wise words he reproves both those who exclude from eternal salvation all united to the Church only by implicit desire,
(Note: We do not 'exclude from salvation all united to the Church only by implicit desire' however we accept it only as a possibility. Since it is known only to God it does not contradict the 'infallible' teaching the 'dogma'.
So when Fr.Leonard Feeney said every one needed to enter the Church with no exception for salvation he was not contradicting the Church teaching on (dejure) baptism of desire.)
and those who falsely assert that men can be saved equally well in every religion.
Necessity of faith
But it must not be thought that any kind of desire of entering the Church suffices that one may be saved. It is necessary that the desire by which one is related to the Church be animated by perfect charity. Nor can an implicit desire produce its effect, unless a person has supernatural faith: "For he who comes to God must believe that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him". The Council of Trent declares: "Faith is the beginning of man's salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God and attain to the fellowship of his children".
(Practical dispositions relative to Reverend Leonard Feeney.)
Submission to the Church
Therefore, let them who in grave peril are ranged against the Church seriously bear in mind that after "Rome has spoken" they cannot be excused even by reasons of good faith.
(Note: Fr.Leonard Feeney was affirming Cantate Domino and since the baptism of desire is always de jure and known only to God how could he deny something that none of us knows of personally; none of us knows any case of a non Catholic in the present times being saved with the baptism of desire.
Those who are saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance are known only to God. Since we do not know a single case on earth, it does not contradict Cantate Domino which says formal entry into the Church is needed for all.
Since we do not know any case on earth of the baptism of desire, Fr.Leonard Feeney was correct in saying that there is no de facto baptism of desire (that we know of).
Certainly, their bond, and duty of obedience toward the Church is much graver than that of those who as yet are related to the Church `'only by an unconscious desire". Let them realize that they are children of the Church, lovingly nourished by her with the milk of doctrine and the sacraments, and hence, having heard the clear voice of their Mother, they cannot be excused from culpable ignorance, and therefore to them apply without any restriction that principle: submission to the Catholic Church and to the Sovereign Pontiff is required as necessary for salvation.
Placed by friarsminor.org/boston.html Most Rev. Bishop Louis O.F.M. ,SERAPH - P.O. Box 16194 Rochester, NY 14616 USA
Note: the Catholic Church has not officialy retracted the dogma Cantate Domino. Fr.Leonard Feeney had the same message as Cantate Domino. He had the same message as the popes and saints throughout history, those who offered the Tridentine Rite Mass.
How could he claim that de jure baptism of desire was an exception to the dogma ? The baptism of desire cannot never be de facto known to us so it does not contradict extra ecclesiam nulla salus.-Lionel Andrades
E-mail: lionelandrades10@gmail.com
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