ARCHBISHOP MARCEL LEFEBVRE ACKNOWLEDGED INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE AND IMPLICIT DESIRE BUT DID NOT SAY THAT THEY WERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE DOGMA: IT IS THE SSPX BISHOPS AND PRIESTS WHO ASSUME IT IS

In response to a comment in an earlier post I have mentioned that in two quotations on this subject Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre the founder of the Society of St.Pius X has said ‘I repeat, it is possible for someone to be saved in these religions, but they are saved by the Church, and so the formulation is true: Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. This must be preached.” [Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Against the Heresies, pp. 217-218] Elsewhere he has said that there could be people in other religions saved with implicit desire.

He has not said that these cases are known to us and so they are explicit exceptions to the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

It is the SSPX bishops and priests who assume that they are. They assume that implicit desire and being saved in invincible ignorance are explicitly known in the present time.

The Archbishop did not say this.

This is an important point raised. If only the SSPX bishops could see it!

1. Implicit desire etc is not an exception to the literal interpretation of the dogma according to Fr.Leonard Feeney.

2. The Archbishop did not say it was.

3. If the SSPX bishops can realize this then LG 16 is not an exception to the literal ‘formulation’ of extra ecclesiam nulla salus which ‘must be preached’.

4. Then Vatican Council II (AG 7) supports their position on ecumenism and other religions.

5. Then can tell their Jewish critics that :

“We accept Vatican Council II and it says Jews need to convert for salvation while invincible ignorance and a good conscience (LG 16) are not explicit exceptions to the dogma or AG 7.

'So if you say before entering the Catholic Church we should accept Vatican Council II we accept the Council knowing that invincible ignorance etc are not known to us. We reject your interpretation of Vatican Council in which you irrationally assume that invincible ignorance etc are explicit and known to us in the present time and so they are an exception to the defined dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and also to Vatican Council (AG 7) and are position on ecumenism and other religions.'

-Lionel Andrades
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