I affirm the Athanasius Creed and Vatican Council II

November 30, 2019

I affirm the Athanasius Creed and Vatican Council II

I am a Catholic in Rome peacefully living my Catholic beliefs. I do not force them on anyone.So I would expect others to be tolerant of me as I am of them. I affirm Vatican Council II, interpreted  without the common false premise. I also affirm extra ecclesiam nulla salus(EENS), without the common irrationality, as did the Magisterium in the 16th century and the Church Fathers.

I accept hypothetical cases of the baptism of desire(BOD), baptism of blood(BOB)and being saved in invincible ignorance, as being just hypothetical. They are not objective and personally known people in the present times(2019). So they are not objective examples of salvation outside the Church.Invisible people cannnot be visible examples of salvation outside the Church.

So I do not project BOD,BOB and I.I as objective exceptions to Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II, which says all need faith and baptism for salvation. All.

The norm for salvation, for me, is faith and the baptism of water, in the Catholic Church.This is the teaching of the Catholic Church in Vatican Council II(AG 7), Catechism of the Catholic Church(845,846,1257) and other magisterial documents, which I interpret without confusing what is invisible as being visible, implicit as being explicit, subjective as being objective.

For me the Church indicates in its magisterial documents, including Vatican Council II, that all who are outside the Church are on the way to Hell.This includes those who know or do not know about Jesus and the Church and the necessity of membership for salvation.

For me LG 8, LG 14, LG 16, UR 3, NA 2, GS 22 etc are not practical exceptions to EENS or AG 7.

If anyone is saved they would only be known to God. We cannot judge a particular person on earth and claim he or she will be saved , as an exception, to exclusive salvation in the Catholic Church.

So for me, most people on earth are oriented to Hell.Since they die without faith and the baptism of water(AG 7, LG 14).

Ad Gentes 7 is quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the sub-title Outside the Church there is no salvation.All who are saved are saved through Jesus and the Church.This does not contradict the teaching on all needing to be members of the Catholic Church for salvation (AG 7).The Church is the Sacrament of salvation.All need to become members with faith and baptism, for salvation and there are no exceptions in the present times.

Other religions have good and holy things(NA 2) but they also have inefficiencies, superstition and errors ( Dominus Iesus). They cannot be considered equal paths to salvation with the Catholic Church.Their members are oriented to the Church and are all called to become a part of the Catholic Church.(CDF, Notification,Fr.Jacques Dupuis,2001)

Vatican Council II is in harmony with the concept of exclusive salvation, as held by St. Maximilian Kolbe, Alphonse Ratisbonne, St.Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Sienna, Padre Pio and numerous other saints.The Bible tells us that the Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Jesus.Outside of the Catholic Church there is no salvation( John 3:5, Mark 16:16 etc).

I affirm the Nicene and Apostles Creed interpreted with hypothetical cases just being hypothetical.I would be ready to make a Profession of Faith.I affirm the Athanasius Creed which  says outside the Church there is no salvation.

I am not in schism with the past popes on EENS( Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441),an ecumenism of return( which I affirm with Unitatis Redintigratio, Vatican Council II interpreted rationally) and an exclusivist ecclesiology( supported by Lumen Gentium interpreted rationally , without the false premise).

I am not a sedevacantist and nor am I a traditionalist who only attends the Latin Mass. The ecclesiology of the Mass, for me, in all rites, is the same before and after Vatican Council II. I attend Mass in the vernacular with the ecclesiology of the missionaries of the Middle Ages, which was a golden period in the history of the Catholic Church.

Since there is no known salvation outside the Church and there are no known exceptions to the strict interpretation of EENS, for me, there are only Catholics in Heaven.They are there with faith and the baptism of water and without mortal sins on their soul.

With there being no personally known cases, of non Catholics saved outside the Church, there is no theological basis, for the New Theology, New Ecumenism, New Ecclesiology, New Evangelisation etc.

I have been active , for many years, with the Focolares, Charismatic Renewal, Neo Catechumenal Way of Kiko Arguello and the Legion of Mary.

I have organized inter faith meetings along with a Franciscan friend and priest, Fr. Rasheed.Today such meetings would be a part of mission, for me, and an opportunity to proclaim the faith,while tolerating the views of others. It would be a proclamation for the pleasure of proclaiming the Gospel.Not necessarily to expect a convert. Conversion depends upon the person and God.
I was born in a Catholic family and was baptised as an infant. I am a fan of Teresa of Avila. -Lionel Andrades