I asked Fr. Brian if we knew of anyone saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance.“No” was his reply, he was sure that we don’t know personally any such case.
"So there is nothing in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Vatican Council II which contradicts the dogma Cantate Domino on extra ecclesiam nulla salus? "I asked
He observed that everyone who is saved is saved through Jesus and the Church. I agreed with him.
“But we don’t know any particular case” I asked.
He agreed we do not know any case of a person saved through Jesus and the Church (CCC 846).
"So the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus in its ‘rigorist interpretaion’stands?” I asked.
He did not answer.
He repeated that all those who are saved are saved through Jesus and the Church.
"What about the founder of your religious community St. Joseph Mariello, did he believe in extra ecclesiam nulla salus?
He answered ,"Yes". He mentioned that at that time there was only one interpretation.
I said to myself at that time there was one interpretation and now there is a different one?!
Fr. Brian had vested and was preparing to offer Mass in Italian at the Church San Lorenzo in Fonte via Urbano, a small church dedicated to St. Lawrence deacon and Martyr and to Lawrence’s friend Yppolito, also a martyr. The Church is situated on the street of the Cavour Metro Station in central Rome. Within the Church is the door through which one can go to the prison of St. Lawrence. One goes down steps and through a corridor and reaches the walls of Hippolytus ‘house and the prison which is a small room now. Here there was a fountain where St. Lawrence it is believed baptized the blind Lucillus who immediately had his sight restored. He also baptized Hippolytus the centurion.
At this Church last Saturday evening Fr. Brian Crawford was saying that we do not know any case of implicit salvation and he agreed with Ad Gentes 7 that everyone needed Catholic Faith and the baptism of water for salvation.
So implicit salvation did not contradict the need for everyone to be an explicit member of the Church for salvation.
Yet at the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) seminaries they indicate that those saved with the baptism of desire or invincible ignorance (implicit salvation) are exceptions to the dogma, Cantate Domino Council of Florence 1441.
Similarly the supporters of Fr. Leonard Feeney also traditionalists, assume implicit salvation in Vatican Council contradicts Cantate Domino. Implicit salvation includes those saved with a good conscience, in partial communion with the Church and those saved with the Word of God.
The sedevantists (MHFM) reject the teaching of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre the founder of the SSPX, who said non Catholics can be saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance. Since for the MHFM it contradicts Cantate Domino, Council of Florence ex cathedra on extra ecclesiam nulla salus 1441. The sedevacantists, different groups, imply that we know of explicit cases of the baptism of desire.
Liberal dissenters at Vatican- approved seminaries and universities, reject Cantate Domino and assume that the baptism of desire is explicit and known to us in the present times.
When we believe all who are saved are saved through Jesus and the Church this does not contradict the dogmatic teaching that everyone with no exception needs to be a formal, explicit member of the Catholic Church for salvation. It’s not an ‘either- or ‘situation.
Since I do not know any case of a non Catholic saved through Jesus and the Church the dogmatic teaching is not contradicted; there are no exceptions,
We accept in principle that there could be non Catholics saved though Jesus and the Church, but we do not know any case in particular. We do not deny implicit salvation as a possibility known to only God. However we deny that de facto there can any case that we know on earth. So it can never ever said to be an exception to the dogma.
“We do know of someone saved by Jesus and the Church...the Saints!” says Fr. Brian. True, if the Church says someone is a saint we know they are saved.The saints have received the baptism of water. However in general he agrees that we do not know if anyone in particular is saved implicitly through Jesus and the Church.
‘If anyone is saved, they are saved by Jesus through his Church. If the question is, is anyone saved without Jesus through his Church the answer is no, clearly,’ he clarifies and I agree with him. However the issue is does every one on earth with no exception need Catholic Faith and the baptism of water for salvation ? The answer is Yes according to the dogma and Ad Gentes 7. We do not know any exception with the baptism of desire, invincible ignorance, a good conscience or being saved implicitly through Jesus and the Church.
This was clear to St. Lawrence and St. Joseph Mariello. They believed in the ’rigorist interpretation’ of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and did not consider implicit salvation as an exception. This was the understanding in the Church for centuries.
Fr. Brian Crawford bcrawford@osjcuria.org an American member of the Curia of the Oblates of St. Joseph lives at their International centre and Motherhouse in Boccea, Rome. He is in charge of the Youth Apostolate and Vocation promotion. He is the Rector of the General House of the Oblates of St. Joseph.
Photos: (top) Fr.Brian Crawford OSJ,(centre) the corridor leading to the place where St.Lawrence was imprisoned (below)The shrine in Rome containing the gridiron said to have been used to grill Lawrence to death.
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