The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican in an interview with the National Catholic Register, about a week before the start of the Synod in Rome, has stated that those who know about the Catholic Church and yet do not enter cannot be saved. He cited Lumen Gentium 14, Vatican Council II.
The Anglican Arcbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who has addressed this synod knows about the Catholic Church and yet he will not convert.According to Vatican Counciil II he is lost and so are the educated and informed Protestants participating in the Synod of bishops on the New Evangelisation.
The Archbishop has not cited these religions in particular but was speaking to the NCR with reference to the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus .
The dogma says all non Catholics need to convert into the Church to avoid Hell and not just those who know. It specifically mentions Protestants.
The Archbishop assumes that we know persons on earth saved in invincible ignorance and so not all need to convert but only those who know; who are not in invincible ignorance.This is a flaw. Only God can judge who knows and does not.The Archbishop assumes that the dead are visible. This is irrational! So he rejects the dogma since he assumes that there are known exceptions to it. He shrugs off the dogma as belonging to another time. The dogma of the Trinity is older than extra ecclesiam nulla salus and of course does not apply only to the fourth century.
So Lumen Gentium 14 is correct in saying only those 'who know'. We do not know who they are.Lumen Gentium 14 is referring to those who know and who are known only to God.
The dogma and Vatican Council II (AG 7) says all need to convert for salvation. This is the official teaching of the Catholic Church. This is the teaching of the Catholic Church according to Church-texts and the Magisteriums's understanding of objective reality.
Archbishop Gerhard Muller also indicates that Jews and Muslims, in Rome, who know about Jesus and the Catholic Church are oriented to where the 'worm does not die and the fire is never extinguished'.Non Catholics in Rome know abut the Vatican , the Holy Father.The culture and religion is Catholic in Italy. So they know about Jesus and the Church in Rome.
Protestants have the baptism of water but do not have Catholic Faith. All need Catholic Faith and the baptism of water for salvation (Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II).
According to the Archbishop Muller, the non Catholics participating at the Synod underway need to enter the only Ark of Noah that saves in the flood (CC845) and the Church in which God the Father wants all people to be united (CCC 845). The Catechism is in agreement with extra ecclesiam nulla salus and the Syllabus of Errors.
For salvation non Catholics need to respond and enter the Catholic Church (Dominus Iesus 20) .That there can be non Catholic saved though Jesus and the Church (CCC 846) does not contradict the dogma and Ad Gentes 7 which says all need Catholic Faith for salvation. That God is not limited to the Sacraments (CCC 1257) does not contradict the dogma and CCC1257 which also says all need the baptism of water for 'eternal beatitide' . The baptism of water presupposes an adult has Catholic faith.
It is not enough just to be able to cite Scripture and believe in Jesus. The Catholic Church is necessary for salvation.Cases of the baptism of desire, a good conscience ,seeds of the word , imperfect communion with the Church etc are not known to us in 2012.The dogma has been defined by three Church Councils and Pope Pius XIIcalled it an 'infallible teaching'.
The Sacraments of the Church are necessary for salvation especially the Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist.
Vatican Council II indicates there must be an ecumenism of return. In ecumenism Jesus cannot be separated from the Catholic Church the only church he founded and the only one true Church.-Lionel Andrades
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