On Catholic Forums, Australia an Administrator is asked a question which confuses numerous Catholics until they just give up and forget about it. Pope Pius X is affirming the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus which also indicates ‘that a great number of those who are condemned to eternal punishments suffer that everlasting calamity (they go to Hell ) because of ignorance of those mysteries of faith which must be known and believed in order to be numbered among the elect’ . Catholic Faith and the baptism of water are needed for salvation. (Lumen Gentium 14, Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II).
1.How can we reconcile the following two quotes from Church Documents:
Pope St. Pius X, Acerbo Nimis 2, Quoting Pope Benedict XIV"We declare that a great number of those who are condemned to eternal punishment suffer that everlasting calamity because of ignorance of those mysteries of faith which must be known and believed in order to be numbered among the elect."
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium 16
"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."
It seemingly appears that Lumen Gentium 16 contradicts the pope. It does not.Since there are no known cases on earth of non Catholics saved in invincible ignorance. There can never be known-cases.
So Lumen Gentium 16 cannot ever be a defacto exception.
Pope Pius X is saying that a great number of people ,ignorant in one sense, are oriented to Hell because they have not converted into the Catholic Church. (Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441, Dominus Iesus 20 etc ).
The ignorant would include pagans and members of other religions. This would mean millions of people are oriented to eternal punishment.'Condemned to eternal punishment.' Thy ar condemned with Original Sin and mortal sins and do not have access to the Sacraments outside of which there is no salvation.
Lumen Gentium 16 mentions the possibility ‘in certain circumstances ‘(Letter of the Holy Office 1949 ) for non Catholics to be saved in invincible ignorance etc. This is not the norm. It is not the ordinary means of salvation.We accept this possibility in principle (dejure) knowing that in reality (de facto) every one needs to enter the Church formally as Pope Pius X indicates, knowing 'those mysteries of faith which must be known and believed in order to be numbered among the elect.'
This has been the teaching of the popes, Councils, saints and Vatican Council II.-Lionel Andrades
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