- Joined
- Jul 13, 2015
- Messages
- 19,121
- Location
- Western Australia
- Gender
- Male
- Religious Affiliation
- Catholic
- Political Affiliation
- Moderate
- Marital Status
- Single
- Acceptance of the Trinity & Nicene Creed
- Yes
Okay, the thread title is "click bate" I admit it, but I saw that posts were down the past day or so and new threads are a way to boost posts so here is a new thread. And just to make sure that the thread can live up to its title I will go out of my way to be controversial!
Here goes!
extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
Outside of the [Catholic] Church there is no salvation.
That's what the Latin text above translates to in English The word Catholic is implied because at the time it was written there was only the Catholic Church and some far eastern groups that were in schism.
The idea was expressed in the third century AD.
I am inclined to say that outside of the Catholic Church there is no fullness of the gospel. There is salvation possible for those outside of the Catholic Church but only insofar their beliefs are Catholic and their practises consistent with Catholic practises.
Those who knowingly and deliberately reject Catholic teaching are culpable for their errors and ought to expect to face judgement for them.
Here goes!
extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
Outside of the [Catholic] Church there is no salvation.
That's what the Latin text above translates to in English The word Catholic is implied because at the time it was written there was only the Catholic Church and some far eastern groups that were in schism.
The idea was expressed in the third century AD.
The original phrase, "Salus extra ecclesiam non est" ("there is no salvation out of the Church") comes from Letter LXXII of Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258). The letter was written in reference to a particular controversy as to whether or not it was necessary to baptize applicants who had previously been baptized by heretics. In Ad Jubajanum de haereticis baptizandis, Cyprian tells Jubaianus of his conviction that baptism conferred by heretics is not valid. Firmilian (died c. 269) agreed with Cyprian reasoning that those who are outside the Church and have not the Holy Spirit cannot admit others to the Church or give what they do not possess. Cyprian was not expressing a theory on the eternal fate of all baptized and non-baptized persons.
And according to Wikipedia the Catholic Church today explains its intended meaning thusThe 2000 declaration Dominus Iesus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states that "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." It then adds that "for those who are not formally and visibly members of the Church, salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church, but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit; it has a relationship with the Church, which, according to the plan of the Father, has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit."
I expect that Protestants would object to both the expression and the alleged explanation put forward by Wikipedia.I am inclined to say that outside of the Catholic Church there is no fullness of the gospel. There is salvation possible for those outside of the Catholic Church but only insofar their beliefs are Catholic and their practises consistent with Catholic practises.
Those who knowingly and deliberately reject Catholic teaching are culpable for their errors and ought to expect to face judgement for them.
