CATHOLIC ANSWERS SUCCUMBS TO THE RICHARD CUSHING ERROR

Catholic Answers founded by Karl Keating says :'The Catechism of the Catholic Church, following historic Christian theology since the time of the early Church Fathers, refers to the Catholic Church as "the universal sacrament of salvation" (CCC 774–776), and states: "The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men" (CCC 780).

Many people misunderstand the nature of this teaching.

Indifferentists, going to one extreme, claim that it makes no difference what church one belongs to. Certain radical traditionalists, going to the other extreme, claim that unless one is a full-fledged, baptized member of the Catholic Church, one will be damned.

Lionel : Catholics Answers says it is wrong to believe as a Catholic that 'one needs to be a full-fledged,baptized member of the Catholic Church, one will be damned'. This is the teaching of the dogma Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441 which Catholic Answers is here contradicting  and does not even mention. The Letter of the Holy Office referred to 'the dogma', the 'infallilble teaching'.

Catholic Answers :The following quotations from the Church Fathers give the straight story. They show that the early Church held the same position on this as the contemporary Church does—that is, while it is normatively necessary to be a Catholic to be saved (see CCC 846; Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 14),

Lionel: ‘normatively necessary’ ?. Catholic Faith with the baptism of water is needed by all with no exceptions. All people need to enter the Church (LG 14) as ‘through a door’ (CCC 846)

Catholic Answers: 'there are exceptions, and it is possible in some circumstances for people to be saved who have not been fully initiated into the Catholic Church (CCC 847).'

Lionel: There are no known defacto exceptions .
We accept the possibility of non Catholics being saved in the present times (de jure) but we do not know any partcular case.

Catholic Answers: 'Notice that the same Fathers who declare the normative necessity of being Catholic also declare the possibility of salvation for some who are not Catholics.'

Lionel:The Church Fathers declare the de facto necessity of being a Catholic and accept the possibility in principle of some who can be saved who are not visible Catholics and who are known only to God.

Catholic Answers: 'These can be saved by what later came to be known as "baptism of blood" or " baptism of desire" '
 

Lionel: These can be saved we accept as a hypothetical possibility. Since they are not known to us to imply that they are exceptions is the Richard Cushing Error.

Catholic Answers: 'The Fathers likewise affirm the possibility of salvation for those who lived before Christ and who were not part of Israel, the Old Testament People of God.'

Lionel: They were waiting in the Bosom of Abraham for the Jewish Messiah who had not come. After His Resurrection the good could go to Heaven.

Now  after the Resurrection God the Father wants all people to be united in the Catholic Church (CCC 845) .Catholics are now the Chosen People of God.

Catholic Answers: However, for those who knowingly and deliberately (that is, not out of innocent ignorance) commit the sins of heresy (rejecting divinely revealed doctrine) or schism (separating from the Catholic Church and/or joining a schismatic church), no salvation would be possible until they repented and returned to live in Catholic unity.'

Lionel: It is God who will decide who knows about Jesus and the Church and do not enter as compared to those who are in invincible ignorance. The dogma and Vatican Council II (LG 14,AG 7) tell us all need to enter the Church for salvation. There are no known exceptions.

-Lionel Andrades

Salvation Outside the Church
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/salvation-outside-the-church