For me the Council has the hermeneutic of continuity with Tradition. For the main line Catholic Church Vatican Council II can only be in harmony with the missionaries and Magisterium of the 16th century. There is no other rational choice.

When I say that the Catholic Church teaches today that outside the Church there is no salvation I am citing Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I am affirming the blue orthodox passages which are in harmony with the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) on extra ecclesiam nulla salus and I am affirming the red hypothetical passages which do not contradict the blue passages and neither the Council of Florence on EENS.

This is rational, traditional and magisterial.

So Vatican Council II is still officially saying in its text that outside the Church there is no salvation. This is the main line Catholic Church which uses Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Why should I interpret Vatican Council II, the Creeds and Catechisms irrationally and dishonestly like the popes, cardinals and bishops?

For me the Council has the hermeneutic of continuity with Tradition. For the main line Catholic Church Vatican Council II can only be in harmony with the missionaries and Magisterium of the 16^th century. There is no other rational choice.

So my approach is to first 1) affirm the blue passages which are in harmony with the past exclusivist ecclesiology and then 2) affirm the red hypothetical passages, which do not contradict the blue passages and neither Tradition.- Lionel Andrades