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Reacting to religious diversity:Can non-Catholics be saved, according |
 | Heaven, where the rewards are beyond our wildest dreams, or |
| Hell, where unbelievable levels of pain and suffering will last forever without any hope of relief. |
Various denominations have taught that their particular followers have a better chance at attaining heaven, and that believers in other faith groups are either totally excluded from heaven or, at least, are more likely to go to Hell.
The author, who was brought up a Protestant, can recall a conversation over five decades ago with some Catholic friends from the neighborhood. He was taught in Sunday School that Catholics automatically go to Hell; his friends were taught in separate (Catholic, parochial) school that all Protestants end up in Hell.
These beliefs have since changed on both sides of the divide, as Christian faith groups have become more accepting of other denominations. Even beliefs about Hell itself have moderated; it is now seen by many religious groups to be simply a place of isolation from God.
There has been considerable movement by the Roman Catholic Church concerning the salvation status of non-Catholics. The church has gradually changed from an exclusivist to an inclusivist position, thus becoming more accepting of the validity of other Christian denominations and of other religions.
The fate of non-Catholics, as stated prior to Vatican II:
Before Vatican II, the Church consistently taught that only Roman Catholics had a chance to be saved and attain Heaven. Followers of other Christian denominations and of other religions would be automatically routed to Hell for all eternity:
| Pope Innocent III (circa 1160 - 1216 CE) is considered "one of the greatest
popes of the Middle Ages..." 1 At the Fourth Lateran Council (a.k.a. the General
Council of Lateran, and the Great Council) he wrote:
|
| Pope Boniface VIII (1235-1303 CE) promulgated
a Papal Bull in 1302 CE titled Unam Sanctam (One Holy). He wrote, in
part:
|
| Pope Eugene IV, (1388-1447 CE) wrote a Papal
bull in 1441 CE titled Cantate Domino. One paragraph reads:
|
The fate of non-Catholics, as expressed at Vatican II:
| The "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium"
(1964) is one of many documents to come out of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
(often referred to as "Vatican II"). The Council
was held in Rome between 1962 and 1965. Lumen Gentium"
contains in its Chapter 1 an essay on "The Mystery of the church."
Sections 14 to 16 describe the potential for salvation of:
The language is difficult to follow for a lay person. However, an "Assessment of this Council" was written "as an AID to study by Catholic Students of the Second Vatican Council. They contain material, some written in a journalistic style, for the American reader." In the section "The Constitution of the Church" the assessment reads:
This statement would seem to include the possibility that seekers after God may attain salvation, even though they have not concluded that God exists. Presumably, the authors of this document define "God" in Roman Catholic terms as a super-human intelligence and personality with specific attributes, such as being omnipotent, omniscient, omnibeneficient, omnipresent, etc. This statement indicates that even some Agnostics and Atheists could be saved and attain heaven, if they sincerely sought this Christian God. It also seems to imply that many Buddhists -- those who follow traditions that have no concept of such a deity -- will be relegated to Hell after death. | ||||||
| The "Decree on Ecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio" (1964) is one of nine decrees of Vatican II. It deals with Ecumenism, which the Catholic Church defines as the reuniting of all Christian faith groups under the authority of the pope. This includes Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican Communion, and Protestant denominations -- those who "came to be separated from full communion with the Catholic Church." Section 3 deals with "separated brethren" -- followers of Christian denominations which The document repeats the belief that the Roman Catholic church is the only true Christian church -- the only denomination which "has been endowed with all divinely revealed truth and with all means of grace." Other Christian denominations are considered deficient. But the document does recognize that salvation is possible through the Catholic church for followers of those separated faith groups. It recognizes other denominations as fellow Christians: |
"The children who are born into these Communities and who grow up believing in Christ cannot be accused of the sin involved in the separation, and the Catholic Church embraces upon them as brothers, with respect and affection. For men who believe in Christ and have been truly baptized are in communion with the Catholic Church even though this communion is imperfect. ...it remains true that all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church."
"Moreover, some and even very many of the significant elements and endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church itself, can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church: the written word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, and visible elements too. All of these, which come from Christ and lead back to Christ, belong by right to the one Church of Christ."
"The brethren divided from us also use many liturgical actions of the Christian religion. These most certainly can truly engender a life of grace in ways that vary according to the condition of each Church or Community. These liturgical actions must be regarded as capable of giving access to the community of salvation."
"It follows that the separated Churches and Communities as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Church."
"Nevertheless, our separated brethren, whether considered as individuals or as Communities and Churches, are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body, and with Him quickened to newness of life- that unity which the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Tradition of the Church proclaim. For it is only through Christ's Catholic Church, which is 'the all-embracing means of salvation,' that they can benefit fully from the means of salvation. We believe that Our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, in order to establish the one Body of Christ on earth to which all should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the people of God." (Footnote references deleted) 7
| The "Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian
religions: Nostra Aetate," (1965) is one of three declarations of
Vatican II. 8 It states that:
|
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The fate of non-Catholics, as expressed after Vatican II:
| The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994),
deals with the relationship of the Roman Catholic Church to
non-Catholics in Topics 839 to 845. 9 Some points are:
| ||||||||||||||||
| " 'Dominus Iesus' on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church" was published on 2000-AUG-6 by Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith. It was released on SEP-5. The document
had been
ratified and confirmed by the Pope John Paul II on JUN-16 "with sure knowledge and by
his apostolic authority." 10 The
document appears to have been triggered by the growth in acceptance of "relativistic
theories which seek to justify religious pluralism." 12
It states that:
|
Has the position of the Roman Catholic Church changed?
At first glance, the Church has changed its teachings about whether a non-Catholic can be saved:
| In the past, the Church seems to have taken an exclusivist position on the validity of other faith traditions. Numerous popes in the Middle Ages seem to have stated clearly that anyone who is "outside" the Church, who is "not subject to the Roman Pontiff" or is "not living within the Catholic Church" cannot be saved and will not attain Heaven. |
| Numerous statements since the 1960's seem to have stated clearly that the Church has switches to an inclusivist position. They now believe that non-Catholics can have indirect access to salvation, but that their faith may well place serious roadblocks on the path to salvation. |
The church tackles this apparent conflict in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Items 846 and 847 attempt to harmonize ancient and recent statements on salvation of non-Christians.
Section 846 by making the following points:
| In ancient times, the Church Fathers often said that "Outside the [Catholic] Church there is no salvation." | ||||||
| The church has always taught that:
| ||||||
| Those who realize the Church's role and who "refuse either to enter it or to remain in it" cannot achieve salvation or attain Heaven after death. | ||||||
| This is what various popes meant when they said that there was no salvation outside the church. |
Section 847 states that:
| The above "...is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church." |
| "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience -- those too may achieve eternal salvation." 9 |
This attempt at harmonizing leaves many Anglicans, Muslims, Protestants, Wiccans, and followers of other religions in an awkward situation. Many know of the claims of the Roman Catholic Church and reject them in favor of the teachings of other groups. That would seem to eliminate any possibility for them to be saved and attain Heaven, according to the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catechism's explanation is difficult to harmonize with very specific statements by past popes, which were often referred to by the phrase : "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus" ("Outside the Church there is no salvation"). According to the Saint Benedict Center, this doctrine of the Catholic Faith "...was taught By Jesus Christ to His Apostles, preached by the Fathers, defined by popes and councils and piously believed by the faithful in every age of the Church." 13
| Pope Innocent III: "There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved." Fourth Lateran Council, 1215. |
| Pope Boniface VIII: "We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff." From his Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302. |
| Pope Eugene IV: "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." From his Bull Cantate Domino, 1441.) |
Protestant denominations and the Anglican Communion would presumably fall under the category of "heretics and schismatics." Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, etc would presumably be considered "Pagans."
An attempt to harmonize Pope Boniface VIII's Unam Sanctam Bull is available online. It raises a number of points. One is that this bull was directed at Catholics in France during the 14th century who were not submitting to the Pope. Thus, it would not apply to Protestants. 11
References:
- "Pope Innocent III," Catholic Encyclopedia, at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08013a.htm
- "Medieval Sourcebook: Boniface VII, Unam Sanctam, 1302," at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/b8-unam.html
- "Unam Sanctam" Catholic Encyclopedia, at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15126a.htm
- "The Council of Florence (AD 1438-1445)," at: http://www.catholicism.org/pages/florence.htm
- "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium. Chapter 1: "The Mystery of the church," Sections 14 to 16," at: http://www.christusrex.org
- "The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council: Dedicated to 'The Immaculate'," at: http://www.christusrex.org/www1
- "Decree on Ecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio," (1964) at: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/v13.html
- "Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions: Nostra Aetate," at: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/
- "Catechism of the Catholic Church," Doubleday (1994). Read reviews or order the 2nd edition of the Catechism safely from Amazon.com online book store
- " 'Dominus Iesus' on the unicity and salviific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church" at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/
- "The Unam Sanctam 'Problem' Resolved: Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?," at: http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/debate9.htm
- The term "pluralism" is ambiguous. Here, it seems to refer to the belief that all religions are true. Sometimes, the word is used to refer to the fact of religious diversity.
- "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus," Saint Benedict Center, at: http://www.catholicism.org/
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Copyright © 2002 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2002-SEP-23
Latest update: 2007-NOV-03
Author: B.A. Robinson
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