Padre Pio saw a non Catholic saved. This does not contradict the 'rigorist interpretation' of extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Superficially it may seem an exception to the rigorist interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It is not.Since for centuries the Church has held that a non Catholic could be saved with implicit desire and this did not contradict the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It is the sedevacantists like the Most Holy Family Monastery,USA who assume that implicit desire is explicit and so an exception to the dogma on salvation. They reject the baptism of desire of the Council of Trent.
The Council of Trent affirmed being saved with implicit desire and also cited text from Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441 on extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It was not in contradiction.
The Catholic Church accepts that these possibilities are known only to God. They are not the ordinary means of salvation for all which is Catholic Faith and the baptism of water.
So a non Catholic saved could have had an angel give him the baptism of water or God could have sent someone to baptize him. This would not be known to us.
So there are no known exceptions on earth of non Catholics saved with the baptism of water or in invincible ignorance. Since none of these cases are visible to us, we cannot assume that any non Catholic is in Heaven without the baptism of water.
Also we cannot judge beforehand that any non Catholic on earth will be saved in invincible ignorance or the baptism of desire. We do not know the future.
There could be someone with a special charism or gift who does know however in general we do not know.
When St. Francis of Assisi met the Sultan in Jerusalem he told the Sultan that before he died he would be baptized. This happened when a group of Franciscan Friars met the Sultan at his death bed. The Sultan would be in Heaven as a Catholic. St. Francis of Assisi had the charism to know.
There are only Catholics in Heaven. So the person Padre Pio saw saved is now a Catholic and had to expiate for his sins in Purgatory.
In this case may be Padre Pio made it possible for this lady’s non Catholic husband to convert and be saved.-Lionel Andrades
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