You
say 'if'. Well, there's no 'if' about it. It's a dogma that must be
accepted. It's part of Christ's revelation. The natives who lived
after Christ in the Americas before the Europeans came, and thus did not
have the Catholic faith, were not saved. They could not be saved
outside the Church. They were left in ignorance for bad will. That's
covered in our salvation book. One must accept, and truly believe, the
dogma EENS without exception. Here are some quotes relevant to your
question.
Fr. Francisco de Vitoria, O.P., a famous 16th century
Dominican theologian, summed up the traditional teaching of the Catholic
Church on this topic very well. Here is how he put it:
“When we
postulate invincible ignorance on the subject of baptism or of the
Christian faith, it does not follow that a person can be saved without
baptism or the Christian faith. For the aborigines to whom no preaching
of the faith or Christian religion has come will be damned for mortal
sins or for idolatry, but not for the sin of unbelief. As St. Thomas
says, however, if they do what in them lies [in their power],
accompanied by a good life according to the law of nature, it is
consistent with God’s providence that he will illuminate them regarding
the name of Christ.” (citation in our salvation book)
St.
Augustine (426): “Consequently both those who have not heard the gospel
and those who, having heard it, and having been changed for the better,
did not receive perseverance… none of these are separated from that lump
which is known to be damned, as all are going… into condemnation.”
(citation in our salvation book)
2 Corinthians 4:3:“And if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this
world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of
the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not
shine unto them.”
Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, “Cantate
Domino,” 1441, ex cathedra: “The Holy Roman Church firmly believes,
professes and preaches that all those who are outside the Catholic
Church, not only pagans but also Jews or heretics and schismatics,
cannot share in eternal life and will go into the everlasting fire which
was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless they are joined to
the Church before the end of their lives; that the unity of this
ecclesiastical body is of such importance that only for those who abide
in it do the Church’s sacraments contribute to salvation and do fasts,
almsgiving and other works of piety and practices of the Christian
militia produce eternal rewards; and that nobody can be saved, no matter
how much he has given away in alms and even if he has shed blood in the
name of Christ, unless he has persevered in the bo
som and unity of the
Catholic Church.”
from
By Bro. Peter Dimond,
O.S.B.
https://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/catholicchurch/outside-the-church-there-is-no-salvation/?utm_source=WPc&utm_medium=EENS-grey&utm_campaign=WP#.XKtKbtbEU5k
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