Here are some passages from the article which refers to the theology of the baptism of desire. I have added comments.
If it is assumed that the baptism of desire is explicit and known to us in the present times then it would follow that the baptism of desire is an exception to the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. Then this would influence theology .
Lionel
Baptism of Desire: Its Origin and Abandonment in the Thought of Saint Augustine
by Brian Kelly April 28, 2011
http://catholicism.org/baptism-of-desire-its-origin-and-abandonment-in-the-thought-of-saint-augustine.html
In their efforts to drain the thrice-defined dogma of its literal sense, these overly optimistic theologians insisted that the dogma needed to be “interpreted” according to the sense of the living ordinary magisterium of our time. Even Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, postulated that what extra ecclesiam nulla salus really meant was that there is no salvation without the Church:
“The doctrine of the Church also recognizes implicit baptism of desire. This consists in doing the will of God. God knows all men and He knows that amongst Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists and in the whole of humanity there are men of good will. They receive the grace of baptism without knowing it, but in an effective way. In this way they become part of the Church. The error consists in thinking that they are saved by their religion. They are saved in their religion but not by it. . . .” (Open Letter to Confused Catholics)...
Lionel: Implicit baptism of desire is not an explicit exception to the dogma. We do not know any case of the baptism of desire.It is never explicit baptism of desire for us.So if a non Catholic was saved in his religion we would not know. It is irrelevant to the dogma which says all need to convert into the Church for salvation.
If the writer assumes that implicit baptism of desire is explicit for us then it is not rational.
These re-formulations of the dogma have been even further eviscerated by more liberal elements to a redaction devoid of any challenge: “No one can be saved outside the Catholic Church who knows that the Catholic Church is the true Church but refuses to enter it.”
Lionel: Yes the non Catholics who know and the one who is in invincible ignorance will be judged by God. We cannot say that we know who will be saved in invincible ignorance. We cannot judge. These cases are not explicit for us.
The dogma says all non Catholics need to convert into the Church, while we do not know any exceptions to the dogmatic teaching.
Many priests and theologians draw this inference, rightly or wrongly, from a passage in Vatican II’s Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium: “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience — those too may achieve eternal salvation” (#16).
Lionel: Those who are saved 'who though no fault of their own...' are not explicit for us. We do not know these cases.So they do not contradict the dogma.
Father Francois Laisney, in a letter written to me in 1999 on this issue, labored much to convince me that Saint Cyprian favored baptism of desire..
Lionel: Assuming that he did favor the baptism of desire the saint does not say that these cases are explicit or that they contradict the dogma.
In a letter to Master Hugh, who had asked for his opinion about the question of baptism of desire, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (+1153) also cited the two fathers, Ambrose and Augustine, as his authorities in favoring it. But he clearly spoke of it as a matter of opinion:
“We adduce only the opinions and words of the fathers and not our own; for we are not wiser than our fathers. . . . Believe me, it will be difficult to separate me from these two pillars, by which I refer to Augustine and Ambrose. I confess that with them I am either right or wrong in believing that people can be saved by faith alone and the desire to receive the sacrament, even if untimely death or some insuperable force keep them from fulfilling their pious desire.”...
Lionel: They can be saved by faith alone and the desire to receive the sacrament. Of course we cannot know who these cases are. The saint is not saying that we can know them personally. This was the error of Cardinal Richard Cushing in the 1940's.
-Lionel Andrades
ST.AUGUSTINE AND THE SAINTS DO NOT CLAIM THAT THE BAPTISM OF DESIRE CASES ARE KNOWN TO US, ARE VISIBLE TO US
Cardinal Richard Cushing contributed to the illusion of the baptism of desire being an exception to the ordinary means of salvation chosen by God
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