There have been many comments on ASK FATHER: Salvation “outside” the Church by Fr.John Zuhlsdorf (Feb.5,2015) and links have been provided by commentators to support Fr.Z.
The links show that Marchetti's inference, his personal theory with no precedent magisterial support, has been the basis for the rejection of the dogma as it was interpreted over the centuries, the 'strict interpretation'.
1.
Pope Saint John Paul IIAll Salvation Comes through Christ
General Audience -- May 31, 1995
The difficulties that sometimes accompany the development of evangelization highlight
a delicate problem, whose solution is not to be sought in purely historical or sociological terms. It is the problem of the salvation of those who do not visibly belong to the Church. (Lionel : It is a problem after Cardinal Marchetti inferred that these cases are known to us in personal case.That we can know who will be saved without the baptism of water was his inference) We have not been given the possibility to discern the mystery of God's action in minds and hearts, in order to assess the power of Christ's grace as he takes possession, in life and in death, of all that "the Father gives him," and which he himself proclaims he does not want to "lose." We hear him repeat this in one of the suggested Gospel readings in the Mass for the dead (cf. Jn 6:39-40). However, as I wrote in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, the gift of salvation cannot be limited "to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. (Lionel: The pope is contradicting a defined dogma here to accomodate the Marchetti irrational inference which was a break with Tradition and reason.)
Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all." And, in
admitting that it is concretely impossible for many people to have access to the Gospel message, I added: "Many people do not have the opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or to enter the Church.
The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they
have been brought up in other religious traditions" (RM 10).
(Lionel: We can see the influence of Marchetti's theory. The pope is saying only
those who 'know' and do not enter the Church formally, will go to Hell and not to non Catholics in general who die with Original Sin.This is a new doctrine with no historical precedent before 1949.) We must acknowledge that, as far as human beings can know and foresee, this practical impossibility would seem destined to last a long time, perhaps until the work of evangelization is finally completed. Jesus himself warned that only the Father knows "the exact time" set by him for the establishment of his kingdom in the world (cf. Acts 1:7). (Lionel. Those who are not formal members of the Church in 2015 are on the way to Hell. They do not have faith and baptism (Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II ) What I have said above, however, does not justify the relativistic position of those who maintain that a way of salvation can be found in any religion, even independently of faith in Christ the Redeemer, and that interreligious dialogue must be based on this ambiguous idea. That solution to the problem of the salvation of those who do not profess the Christian creed is not in conformity with the Gospel. Rather, we must maintain that the way of salvation always passes through Christ,(Lionel: He excludes the neccesity of the Church, the need to be formal members. He is trying to adapt to Macrhetti's heresy) and therefore the Church and her missionaries have the task of making him known and loved in every time, place and culture.
Apart from Christ "there is no salvation." (Lionel: He cannot say apart from
the Church there is no salvation since Marchetti inferred that there was known salvation outside the Church).As Peter proclaimed before the Sanhedrin at the very start of the apostolic preaching: "There is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12). (Lionel: Peter was referring to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the first Catholic community at the time of Jesus. He was not referring to a baptism independent of any church or community. We can still see the influence of Marchetti's irrationality.Jesus and the baptism of water without the necessity of entry into the Catholic Church!).For those too who through no fault of their own do not know Christ and are not recognized as Christians, the divine plan has provided a way of salvation. As we read in the Council's Decree Ad Gentes, we believe that "God in ways known to himself can lead those inculpably ignorant of the Gospel" to the faith necessary
for salvation (AG 7). (Lionel: True and this possibility must not be considered
an exception to the dogma.This was the mistake made in 1949) Certainly, the condition "inculpably ignorant" cannot be verified nor weighed by human evaluation, but must be left to the divine judgment alone. For this reason, the Council states in the Constitution Gaudium et Spes that in the heart of every man of good will, "Grace works in an unseen way....
The Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility
of being associated with this paschal mystery" (GS 22). (Lionel: Yes the possibility is offered. If a non Catholic does not accept this possibility for salvation, by accepting Jesus in the Catholic Church, it leads to damnation). It is important to stress that the way of salvation taken by those who do not know the Gospel is not a way apart from Christ and the Church. The universal salvific will is linked to the one mediation of Christ. "God our Savior...wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth. And the truth is this: God is one. One also is the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:3-6). Peter proclaimed this when he said: "There is no salvation in anyone else" and called Jesus the "cornerstone" (Acts 4:11-12), emphasizing Christ's necessary role at the basis of the Church.
(Lionel: Again, irrelevant to the defined dogma.)
This affirmation of the Savior's "uniqueness" derives from the Lord's own words. He stated that he came "to give his own life in ransom for the many" (Mk 10:45), that is, for humanity, as St. Paul explains when he writes: "One died for all" (2 Cor 5:14; cf. Rom 5:18). Christ won universal salvation with the gift of his own life.
No other mediator has been established by God as Savior. The unique value of
the sacrifice of the cross must always be acknowledged in the destiny of every man. Since Christ brings about salvation through his Mystical Body, which is the Church, the way of salvation is connected essentially with the Church. The axiom extra ecclesiam nulla salus" -- "outside the Church there is no
salvation" -- stated by St. Cyprian (Epist. 73, 21; PL 1123 AB), belongs to the
Christian tradition. It was included in the Fourth Lateran Council (DS 802), i n the Bull Unam Sanctam of Boniface VIII (DS 870) and the Council of Florence (Decretum pro Jacobitis, DS 1351). The axiom means that for those who are not ignorant of the fact that the Church has been established as necessary by God through Jesus Christ, there is an obligation to enter the Church and remain in her in order to attain salvation (cf. LG 14). (Lionel: False.
The dogma (and not axiom) says all need to enter the Church for salvation
and not those who 'know' ) For those, however, who have not received the Gospel
proclamation, as I wrote in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, salvation is
accessible in mysterious ways, inasmuch as divine grace is granted to them by virtue
of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, without external membership in the Church, but nonetheless always in relation to her (cf. RM 10).
It is a mysterious relationship. It is mysterious for those who receive the grace,
because they do not know the Church and sometimes even outwardly reject her. It is also mysterious in itself, because it is linked to the saving mystery of grace, which includes an essential reference to the Church the Savior founded. In order to take effect, saving grace requires acceptance, cooperation, a yes to the divine gift. This acceptance is, at least implicitly, oriented to Christ and the Church. Thus it can also be said that sine ecclesia nulla salus -- "without the Church there is no salvation." Belonging to the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, however implicitly and indeed mysteriously, is an essential condition for salvation.
(Lionel: He is still not aware that Marchetti made an objective error and so
this has conditioned theology) Religions can exercise a positive influence on the destiny of those who belong to them and follow their guidance in a sincere spirit. However, if decisive action for salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit, we must keep in mind that man receives his salvation only from Christ through the Holy Spirit. Salvation already
begins during earthly life. This grace, when accepted and responded to, brings
forth fruit in the gospel sense for earth and for heaven. (Lionel: He is referring to salvation without the necessity of formal membership in the Church! This comes from the 1949 irrationality of the dead who are now in Heaven, being visible exceptions to the strict interpretation of Fr.Leonard Feeney ) Hence the importance of the Church's indispensable role. She "is not an end unto herself, but rather is fervently concerned to be completely of Christ, in Christ and for Christ, as well as completely of men, among men and for men." This role then is not "ecclesiocentric," as is sometimes said. (Lionel: With the dogma the Church is ecclesioscentric. The dogma was rejected in 1949 because of Cardinal Marchetti being able to see the dead on earth. This was his visible-dead theory.Pope John Paul II accepted it.) The Church does not exist nor does she work for herself, but is at the service of a humanity called to divine sonship in Christ (cf. RM 19). She thus
exercises an implicit mediation also with regard to those who do not know the
Gospel. What has been said, however, should not lead to the conclusion that her missionary activity is less needed in these situations -- quite the contrary. In fact, whoever does not know Christ, even through no fault of his own, is in a state of darkness and spiritual hunger, often with negative repercussions at the cultural and moral l evel. The Church's missionary work can provide him with the resources for the full development of Christ's saving grace, by
offering full and conscious adherence to the message of faith
and active participation in Church life through the
sacraments.
This is the theological approach drawn from Christian tradition. (Lionel: No it is not! It originated in 1949) The Church's Magisterium has followed it in her doctrine and practice as t he way indicated by Christ himself for the apostles and for missionaries in every age. (Lionel: This theology is based on an objective error. It is based on our alleged ability to see the dead on earth.It has no historical precedent before 1949. It was not part of the Deposit of the Faith before 1949. No pope or saint claimed that the baptism of desire or being saved in invincible ignorance referred to personally known cases on earth. Nor was it claimed that these visible in the flesh cases were exceptions to the traditional inference of the dogma.So if there are no known cases how can there be an exception to the dogma?)
-Lionel Andrades
[Entire text above taken from the Vatican.va website on 1/5/2015.] |
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