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Catholics: What Is the Church's Position on the Fate of Non-Catholics?

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

In speaking to other Catholics, it's my understanding that the Church has moved away from this hard-line belief. What is the Church's current position on this?
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

In speaking to other Catholics, it's my understanding that the Church has moved away from this hard-line belief. What is the Church's current position on this?

I was baptized and raised Presbyterian, but there are many Catholics in my extended family; also many of my friends are beautiful conservative Catholics, and I've largely supported the Church. I'm not baptized by the Catholic Church, but I'm in many ways Catholic at heart. I'd hope there'd be a nice place for me to serve among Catholic souls in eternity. ...:)
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

In speaking to other Catholics, it's my understanding that the Church has moved away from this hard-line belief. What is the Church's current position on this?
Have you heard of the recent fracas about it, where some famous conservative priests which to formally accuse the current pope as a heretic? It is over this particular question among others. Forum member Danieldemol has brought it to our attention in this thread: Conservatives call on Catholic bishops to denounce Pope Francis as heretic

It appears that this pope is attempting to turn the clock way, way back in time to the times when everybody was not automatically going to burn in some flames, but some of the conservatives don't like how far he is willing to go. They say he is bowing to pressure or in some way corrupting the church and that the church couldn't possibly be mistaken about its previous hellfire position.
 

Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell. ... What is the Church's current position on this?

Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
    • SECTION TWO I. THE CREEDS
"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

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.337

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."338
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

In speaking to other Catholics, it's my understanding that the Church has moved away from this hard-line belief. What is the Church's current position on this?

We believe that people have been led in other directions, by no fault of their own. We call it "invincible ignorance", which basically just means; to ignore through no fault of your own. These people are not automatically cast into hell.
 

LightofTruth

Well-Known Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

In speaking to other Catholics, it's my understanding that the Church has moved away from this hard-line belief. What is the Church's current position on this?

Since it has been taught by "infallible Popes" that anyone outside the Catholic Church cannot be saved it would mean that those Popes were indeed fallible if they now teach something different.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
Since it has been taught by "infallible Popes" that anyone outside the Catholic Church cannot be saved it would mean that those Popes were indeed fallible if they now teach something different.

Actually the Church never said that "anyone outside the Catholic Church cannot be saved"... That's an untrue statement.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
When I was a Catholic 40 or so years ago, I was taught that only Catholics were admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and that non-Catholics were condemned to an eternity in Hell.

You were actually taught wrong. "There is no salvation outside the Church" simply means that false teachers cannot guide you to salvation.

...It was never intended to isolate people.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
Unfortunately, triumphalist personality types, consisting of poorly catechized lay Catholics, may have botched the understanding of this teaching over decades of time. Confusing their peers.

...That's why it needs to be re-examined with a clear conscience.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
I was baptized and raised Presbyterian, but there are many Catholics in my extended family; also many of my friends are beautiful conservative Catholics, and I've largely supported the Church. I'm not baptized by the Catholic Church, but I'm in many ways Catholic at heart. I'd hope there'd be a nice place for me to serve among Catholic souls in eternity. ...:)

We love the Presbyterians. :)
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
Actually the Church never said that "anyone outside the Catholic Church cannot be saved"... That's an untrue statement.
Uh,
I was raised very conservative Catholic.
I was in middle school before I realized that protestants actually believed in Jesus. I didn't think they did.
I thought that they were hell bound pagans who went to church pretending to be Christians.

If the protestants were True Christians they would have trusted the Church that Jesus Himself founded on the rock that was Pope Peter.
But obviously they didn't trust Jesus enough to join His Own Church.

Tom

~This was fifty years ago or more. Lots has changed since then.~
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
Uh,
I was raised very conservative Catholic.
I was in middle school before I realized that protestants actually believed in Jesus. I didn't think they did.
I thought that they were hell bound pagans who went to church pretending to be Christians.

If the protestants were True Christians they would have trusted the Church that Jesus Himself founded on the rock that was Pope Peter.
But obviously they didn't trust Jesus enough to join His Own Church.

Tom

~This was fifty years ago or more. Lots has changed since then.~

Triumphantism reined strong in people then. They misinterpreted Catholic teaching to meet their agenda.
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
To clarify, in order to be saved one must agree with what the Popes have said is required to be saved.

That seems like more of an aside than a clarification. My point still stands that no pope ever said: "anyone outside the Catholic Church cannot be saved".

...Since no pope ever said it, there is no contradiction. No fallability issues.
 

LightofTruth

Well-Known Member
Also, we only have to agree with popes when they speak ex cathedra. That hasn't occured in centuries.

"Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (CCC 846)"

The RCC changed the word "infallible" to "irreformable" which means the same thing.
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
Triumphantism reined strong in people then. They misinterpreted Catholic teaching to meet their agenda.
Triumphatism still reigns strong amongst Christians.
They still misinterpret teachings to meet their agenda.

Trust me, I know.
I am a more hardcore prolifer than most of the Christians I know.

Tom
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
"Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (CCC 846)"

The RCC changed the word "infallible" to "irreformable" which means the same thing.

It's explained perfectly in the last sentence... if you 'know' for sure that the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation, yet you reject it, you cannot be saved.

...That is all.
 

LightofTruth

Well-Known Member
It's explained perfectly in the last sentence... if you 'know' for sure that the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation, yet you reject it, you cannot be saved.

...That is all.

"Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ,..."

Have you ever heard a more arrogant statement?

The Catholic Church was NOT founded as necessary by God!
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
"Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ,..."

Have you ever heard a more arrogant statement?

The Catholic Church was NOT founded as necessary by God!

The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ.

By His direct orders, we went out to all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That began in the year 1.

Matthew 28:19-20
 
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