CARDINAL RATZINGER AFFIRMED IN THE CATECHISM THE RIGORIST INTERPRETATION OF THE DOGMA EXTRA ECCLESIAM NULLA SALUS?-1

When the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) was produced Cardinal Ratzinger, now our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, was asking us to use reason in interpreting CCC 1257 on the Necessity of Baptism. To very many Catholics CCC is ‘a mystery’ a riddle, something unsolvable. A puzzle.

When you reason, and know, that faith and reason compliment each other (Fides et Ratio) then the answer is as clear as light. Or at least after you begin to reason and find the answer.

But where is the solution? Where is the magical text which can make us say, “Oh! It’s so obvious!”

Remember the Holy Father was not only a theologian but also a professor of philosophy. One of the subjects Catholic seminarians are taught in Philosophy is Logic.

But even with the knowledge of Logic, CCC baffles you. If you do not have the clue you can reason all day, with a false premise.

The 1257 conundrum says on the surface everyone needs to de facto enter the Catholic Church with Baptism; the Baptism of water for salvation. And of course Catholics give the Baptism of water to adults only when they have Catholic Faith. So the first part of CCC 1257 is simple. It is traditional Catholic teaching everyone needs to be baptized with water for salvation. Everyone needs to be a formal member of the Catholic Church.

Then comes the block buster, the knock out for the average good Catholic student of philosophy. CCC 1257 also says, God is not limited to the Sacraments. So the Sacrament of Baptism is not necessary for some, or many, for salvation.Figure that out!

Wait.

It’s not a mystery!?!

Not if you have the text with the clue.

The clue came with two phrases used in the Introduction to Dominus Iesus(2000). Many years later for me.

The two all important words, priceless for philosophy and theology seminarians, were de facto and de jure.

Here is the key to unraveling the mystery of the CCC 1257 puzzle.It is now possible to read CCC 1257 without violating the Principle of Non Contradiction.

The first part of CCC 1257 refers to de facto salvation for all, with no exceptions. The second part of CCC 1257 refers to de jure salvation (in principle), and ‘in certain circumstances’ (Letter of the Holy Office 1949) and which is known only to God.

CCC 1257 (first part) says de facto everyone needs to be a visible, card carrying member, of the Catholic Church to avoid Hell ( ex cathedra Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441, Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II and CCC 1257!).

There are no exceptions says the dogma. In reality there are no exceptions. De facto everyone needs to enter the Church. De facto (explicitly) none of us can know of anyone in particular being saved without the Sacrament of the Baptism of water.

So then why does just about every Catholic say, ‘ everyone needs to enter the Catholic Church EXCEPT for those in invincible ignorance or with the Baptism of desire ’?

Duh!

De facto I cannot know of any one who has the Baptism of desire. Only God can judge. Even the person who receives this grace may not know it.

In principle (dejure) I cannot say that there has been a Baptism of desire in the past. Nor do I know if any one has received a baptism of desire in the present times. We are dealing with a straw man. A hypothetical issue. Just a concept.

If we do not know a single case explicitly or implicitly of someone having the Baptism of desire or invincible ignorance or a good conscience then how can we say everyone needs to enter the Church EXCEPT for these exceptional cases, about which I and you do not have any clue.

The first part of CCC 1257 is telling us that there is no explicit Baptism of Desire, invincible ignorance or a good conscience that we can know of .So everyone with no exception must be a visible member of the Church to see Heaven.

So the first part of CCC1257 refers to de facto explicit salvation and the second part to dejure in principlesalvation which is known to only to God so they do not contradict the Principle of Non Contradiction.

So in principle only (de jure) as a concept only the Catechism of the Catholic Church is saying that someone can be saved without the Sacraments and this would be known to only God.

So if the first part of CCC 1257 refers to de facto salvation and the second part to de jure, in principle salvation then this opens up a whole new realm of theology.

It means Lumen Gentium 16 (LG) could refer to de jure salvation.

If LG 16 is dejure then it is not in conflict with Ad Gentes 7,which says all people need Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water to avoid Hell.

If it is not in conflict with AG 7 then it is not in opposition with the ex cathedra dogma which says everyone needs to be a visible, formal member of the Catholic Church to go to Heaven and there are no exceptions(de facto). That’s logic!

It means we could have a new interpretation of Vatican Council II and the dogma. Yes!- said two priests last week.

The interpretation which makes sense and does not conflict with the infallible teaching (Cantate Domino) is:

Everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church for salvation and there are no exceptions and if there is anyone in invincible ignorance, with the Baptism of Desire or a good conscience it will be known only to God.

We are back to the rigorist interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus which is in accord with Vatican Council II and  the Cathechism of the Catholic Church.

Was this what Cardinal Ratzinger was saying once you had the de facto- de jure clue? Did he interpret the Catechism of the Catholic Church in accord with Tradition and the dogma?


Continued Part 2: http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2010/08/cardinal-ratzinger-affirmed-in_16.html#links

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Therefore, all must be converted to Him, made known by the Church's preaching, and all must be incorporated into Him by baptism and into the Church which is His body. For Christ Himself "by stressing in express language the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5), at the same time confirmed the necessity of the Church, into which men enter by baptism, as by a door.-Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II




Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.-Lumen Gentium 16, Vatican Council II.