He delivered this message at the conclusion of his homily yesterday morning at the solemn Mass in Latin held at St. Mary Majors, Rome.
It may be mentioned that according to Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church all Christians, non Catholics, need to enter the Catholic Church to avoid Hell.
The infallible teaching extra ecclesiam nulla salus also indicates all Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Messianic Jews and Jehovahs Witnesses are oriented to Hell which has fire
Therefore, all (Protestants, Orthodox Christians etc) 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 requires Catholic Faith missing among other Christians) which is His body. For Christ Himself "by stressing in express language the necessity of faith (Catholic Faith which Christians do not have) 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, (given to adults with Catholic Faith ) as by a door.-Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II
Therefore those men cannot be saved, (they are on the way to Hell with fire) who though aware that God, through Jesus Christ founded the Church as something necessary, (they know about the Church and we assume if they have a good conscience the Holy Spirit is inspiring them to join it) still do not wish to enter into it, or to persevere in it." (They would include Christians participating in ecumenical programs this week) Therefore though God in ways known to Himself can lead those inculpably ignorant of the Gospel to find that faith without which it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6), (People who are known only to God and unknown to us) yet a necessity lies upon the Church (1 Cor. 9:16), and at the same time a sacred duty, to preach the Gospel. (A Gospel which says Jesus’ Sacrifice was for all ; that all may be saved from Hell who believe in Him and enter the Church He founded, through Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water) and hence missionary activity today as always retains its power and necessity.- Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II
Vatican Council II is saying they all need to be one in the Catholic Church for salvation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has the same message.
To reunite all his children, (Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Messianic Jews etc ) scattered and led astray by sin, (rebellion, schism and ignorance) the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood.-Catechism of the Catholic Church n.845 Catechism of the Catholic Church
"Outside the Church there is no salvation"
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches 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, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. (This is an ecumenism of return to the Catholic Church for salvation) Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.-Catechism of the Catholic Church 846 (Note : ‘which men through Baptism as through a door’ was a term used by the Church Fathers for the rigorist interpretation of outside the church there is no salvation).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church and Vatican Council II are not just saying that they all may be one in the Catholic Church but that it is also necessary to avoid Hell.
There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is active in this endeavour and that he is leading the Church to the full realization of the Father's plan, in conformity with the will of Christ. This will was expressed with heartfelt urgency in the prayer which, according to the Fourth Gospel, he uttered at the moment when he entered upon the saving mystery of his Passover. Just as he did then, today too Christ calls everyone to renew their commitment to work for full and visible communion.- Pope John Paul II, UtUnum Sint N.100.
97. The Catholic Church, both in her praxis and in her solemn documents, holds that the communion of the particular Churches with the Church of Rome, and of their Bishops with the Bishop of Rome, is—in God's plan—an essential requisite of full and visible communion. Indeed full communion, of which the Eucharist is the highest sacramental manifestation, needs to be visibly expressed in a ministry in which all the Bishops recognize that they are united in Christ and all the faithful find confirmation for their faith. The first part of the Acts of the Apostles presents Peter as the one who speaks in the name of the apostolic group and who serves the unity of the community—all the while respecting the authority of James, the head of the Church in Jerusalem. This function of Peter must continue in the Church so that under her sole Head, who is Jesus Christ, she may be visibly present in the world as the communion of all his disciples.-Ut Unum Sint 97 (Emphasis added).
Pope John Paul II in Ut Unum Sint shows us that the Catholic Church only knows of an ecumenism of return.
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2011/01/cardinal-bernard-law-calls-for.html
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2011/01/cardinal-bernard-law-calls-for.html
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6 comments:
This is off topic but I can't see Cardinal Law in the news without thinking the man belongs in jail. I'm reading Leon Podles book, Sacrilege, and Cardinal Law was a major enabler of child sex abuse. To see this man, who escaped prosecution by leaving the country, pontificating on anything regarding the Church makes me angry.
It would be more to the point for Cardinal Law to talk about the irresponsibility, abuse of authority, and need for repentance of bishops like himself who covered up crimes and had no concern for the poor young victims. Geoghan's rampage in Boston was enabled for years by Law's ignoring warnings even from his auxiliary, John D'Arcy. Thanks to Law's lack of concern for victims, Geoghan was able to molest the siblings of another of his victims after the boy committed suicide.
I wish everyone would read Podles' book.
Mary,
He was exonerated by the US courts and there was no charge against him.He was aware of the issue and the case of these priests was being handled by the priest, who recently retired, as bishop of Boston.
On the other hand Mary, I wish every Catholic would affirm the teaching on ecumenism as the cardinal.
There are many pro abortion activists who do not affirm the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.If you do not believe in the necessity of the church for the salvation of everyone,with no exception, then how can you expect Catholics to believe in pro life issues and not choose other Protestant teachings ?
In Christ
Lionel
Correction: The priest who recently retired as the bishop of Manchester,USA.
Cardinal Law was never exonerated because he was never charged. A Grand Jury was convened but he fled the country and Massachusetts has no law against NOT REPORTING a crime. In many cases the statute of limitations had run out. But the fact he was never charged doesn't change the facts about his complicity. He wouldn't listen to his own auxiliary, Bishop D'Arcy. He certainly knew. He couldn't get beyond his clericalism to care about the poor little ones being raped and molested. When I see the glowing letters he wrote to these serial abusers even when they were being removed from the priesthood it is nauseating. http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.cardinal20jun20,0,7429474.story
http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.cardinal20jun20,0,7429474.story
He was investigated by a Grand Jury but was never charged.
Then, if Catholics are not willing to affirm an ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus in public how can we expect any Catholic to follow the moral teachings of the Church? Lay or bishop.
Mary Ann,
Cardinal Law never fled the country. The attorney general of Massachusetts, after a thorough investigation, said that while Cardinal Law should have responded differently, he was not guilty of any crime. Following his resignation as archbishop of Boston until his appointment at Santa Maria Maggiore, the cardinal lived in the USA. He has returned to the USA upon many occasions since his appointment. Get your facts straight before you attempt to malign somebody.
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