Listers, the following is a short compilation of quotes taken from previous Ecumenical Pontiffs of Rome: “Outside the Church there is no hope for salvation.” These quotes show us the confidence that our previous Bishops of Rome have had in their authority given by God Himself to be the Vicar of Christ here on Earth. As St. Augustine said, “Rome has spoken, the case is closed.” Cheers!
SPL On the Papacy
10 Biblical Reasons Christ Founded the Papacy
13 Biblical Reasons Peter was the Prince of the Apostles
Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus
1. The Church Is One
“The universal Church of the faithful is one outside of which none is saved.”
Pope Innocent III, ex cathedra, Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD)
2. Every Human Creature
“We declare, say , define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
-Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam (1302 AD)
3. All Must Abide in the Bosom of the Church
“The Most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, also Jews, heretics, and schismatics can ever be partakers of eternal life, but that they are to go into the eternal fire ‘which was prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Mt. 25:41) unless before death they are joined with Her… No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ can be saved unless they abide within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”
Pope Eugene IV, ex cathedra, Council of Florence, Cantate Domino (1441 AD)
4. True Worship Is Catholic Worship
“The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in Her and asserts that all who are outside of Her will not be saved.”
Pope Saint Gregory the Great (590-604)
5. Outside No One Is Saved
“By heart we believe and by mouth confess the one Church, not of heretics but the Holy Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Church outside which we believe that no one is saved.”
Pope Innocent III, Eius exemplo, 18 December 1208
6. Why We Profess: No Salvation Outside the Church
“Certainly many remarkable authors, adherents of the true philosophy, have taken pains to attack and crush this strange view. But the matter is so self-evident that it is superfluous to give additional arguments. It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery. By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.”
Pope Leo XII, Ubi Primum
7. The Disease that Is Killing the Flock
“You see, dearly beloved sons and venerable brothers, how much vigilance is needed to keep the disease of this terrible evil from infecting and killing your flocks. Do not cease to diligently defend your people against these pernicious errors. Saturate them with the doctrine of Catholic truth more accurately each day. Teach them that just as there is only one God, one Christ, one Holy Spirit, so there is also only one truth which is divinely revealed. There is only one divine faith which is the beginning of salvation for mankind and the basis of all justification, the faith by which the just person lives and without which it is impossible to please God and to come to the community of His children.[Rom 1; Heb 11; Council of Trent, session 6, chap. 8.] There is only one true, holy, Catholic church, which is the Apostolic Roman Church. There is only one See founded in Peter by the word of the Lord,[St. Cyprian, epistle 43.] outside of which we cannot find either true faith or eternal salvation. He who does not have the Church for a mother cannot have God for a father, and whoever abandons the See of Peter on which the Church is established trusts falsely that he is in the Church.[St. Cyprian,de unitat. Eccl.] Thus, there can be no greater crime, no more hideous stain than to stand up against Christ, than to divide the Church engendered and purchased by His blood, than to forget evangelical love and to combat with the furor of hostile discord the harmony of the people of God.[St. Cyprian, epistle 72.]“
-Blessed Pope Pius IX, Singulari Quidem
8. The Necessity of Belonging to the True Church
“Some say they are not bound by the doctrine which teaches that the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of Christian Faith. These and like errors, it is clear, have crept in among certain of our sons who are deceived by imprudent zeal for souls or by false science.”
-Venerable Pope Pius XII, Humani Generis
Other Lists from John Henry
Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form
The Idiot’s Guide to Fasting and Abstinence
Regina Sanctissimi Rosarii: 6 Things All Catholics Should Know About the Rosary
The Domestic Church: 7 Steps to a Proper Catholic Home
And more…
Other Lists on Salvation of Non-Catholics
How Were Men Saved Before Christ?
Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?
Pax vobis cum.
35 comments
Allison@totustuus says:
Apr 18, 2012
Grateful to see a post like this. I had one, a while back, with similar quotes. “True then. True now? Has Truth Changed?”
http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2009/02/true-then-true-now-has-truth-changed.html
Rick DeLano says:
Apr 19, 2012
How remarkable to see these authoritative statements of the dogma of our Faith- there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church!- repeated without the quibbling and mewling so characteristic of the Wormtongue modernists.
Recently some have gone so far as to dare to claim that these profoundly clear, utterly irreformable formulations of the Holy Catholic Faith are themselves heretical.
Never, ever allow the guile or the disorientation of the victims of modernism to twist these words.
Extra ecclesiam nulla salus!
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 19, 2012
So as a Protestant I’m doomed to Hell?
Brian says:
May 11, 2012
Yes, so come join the Church!
Rick DeLano says:
Apr 19, 2012
Yes. That’s exactly right.
Extra= outside
Ecclesiam= The Church
Nulla= No
Salus= Salvation
Only those who die united to the Mystical Body of Christ- that is, the Catholic Church- have Life in them.
By the way, every single Protestant is fully Catholic at the moment of baptism.
And remains so unless and until they consciously and culpably reject the Catholic Faith.
Also- it is possible that God makes lots of Protestants Catholic in those crucial final moments.
We will never know about that this side of Judgement Day.
But what we do know- and we know this for absolutely one hundred per cent certain- is that nobody who dies Protestant has Life in them.
Read #3 above.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 19, 2012
Well, as I don’t consciously and culpably reject the Catholic faith, I guess I’m okay. If not, there are always those crucial final moments when God may make me become a Catholic.
Rick DeLano says:
Apr 20, 2012
Permit me to observe on strictly objective grounds (I presume no special ability to read your soul, and certainly no power to judge you) that your choice of screen name is- objectively!- difficult to reconcile with your statement that you don;t consciously and culpably reject the Catholic Faith.
A mère observation, advanced in the hope that it might be worth reflecting upon.
As for “in mortis examine”- may God be good and merciful and kind to you, may the Blessed Virgin intercede for you.
May you not be found among those who assured Noah that they would climb aboard the Ark once it became really clear that it were entirely necessary.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 22, 2012
Well, unless you hold that no Protestant can be a Christian, I don’t see your point about screen name.
Nina says:
Apr 20, 2012
Thank you for this. No, really. Until today (or late last night, actually), I’d been teetering on the fence. I’ve been contemplating returning to Catholicism and have spent the last several months researching and reading. While many things left me uncomfortable, up until last night when some snot-nosed holier-than-thou johnnie (or janie, in this case)-come-lately said something appallingly nasty to me regarding whether or not I was a “true” Catholic. Even then, I chalked it up to her personal issues, and I asked God to show me the truth. And I saw this. And now I know. Catholicism is utterly and completely evil, from start to finish. So, thank you, for helping show me that it would be an act of proactive evil to return to the Church of my youth. You worship and idolize yourselves. There is no room for God in your Church. I need God. I don’t need this. Goodbye
Brian says:
May 11, 2012
God showed you the truth and you ignored Him. So brave of you. Apparently the Devil showed you something better and more appealing to your ego and pride. Maybe the Devil will show some mercy on you when you get to join him…and maybe he won’t. Good luck.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 21, 2012
All those oldies you quoted must have been wrong, as the the Catechism states:
Q. 510. Is it ever possible for one to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church?
A. It is possible for one to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church, provided that person:
Has been validly baptized; Firmly believes the religion he professes and practices to be the true religion, and Dies without the guilt of mortal sin on his soul.
Rick DeLano says:
Apr 22, 2012
Sorry, you do not quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I imagine the above disaster probably emanates from the notorious YouCat.
The definitive exercise of the charism of the magisterium is as in the article above.
I deeply apologize for the terrible errors perpetrated in certain national and other catechisms.
HHAmbrose says:
Apr 22, 2012
“Protestant Christian’s” statement is quoted from SPL’s list “Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?” – which is linked at the end of the above article. The quote is coming from the Baltimore Catechism, which is used by the FSSP and other “traditionalist” groups to catechize and teach children. It was in use from 1885 until Vatican II.
The operative word is “possible.” Souls outside the Catholic Church are placed before the Mercy of God, since they do not partake in the Sacraments of the Church – the visible signs of invisible grace. Without that grace we can have no assurance of their salvation – so they are handed over to God. “Possible” simply means that, it is possible – but “possible” is a terrible state for any soul. All souls are called to the path of salvation as articulated by Holy Mother Church, the Catholic Church.
The Baltimore Catechism states as such:
Q. 510. Is it ever possible for one to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church?
A. It is possible for one to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church, provided that person:
Has been validly baptized; Firmly believes the religion he professes and practices to be the true religion, and Dies without the guilt of mortal sin on his soul.
Q. 511. Why do we say it is only possible for a person to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church?
A. We say it is only possible for a person to be saved who does not know the Catholic Church to be the true Church, because the necessary conditions are not often found, especially that of dying in a state of grace without making use of the Sacrament of Penance.
Q. 512. How are such persons said to belong to the Church?
A. Such persons are said to belong to the “soul of the church”; that is, they are really members of the Church without knowing it. Those who share in its Sacraments and worship are said to belong to the body or visible part of the Church.
**These statement do not conflict with the above list of quotes because we can only speak of salvation as Our Lord taught, and that path is found by the grace of the sacraments and his One, Holy, Apostolic and Catholic Church. Again, all those outside the Church we many HOPE for their salvation, but we cannot assure it – it is only “possible,” which is again a terrible state.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 22, 2012
Thanks for confirming that it is indeed possible for non-Catholics to be saved. Which means that the categorical statements of those oldies quoted above are erroneous, as their statements allow of no such possibility. Both can’t be right. I go with the Catechism.
Rick DeLano says:
Apr 23, 2012
Is it possible to imagine any more clearly stated case for the disastrous “New Theology”, which, by the way, long predates in its inception and promulgation the Second Vatican Council?
Thank you, PC, for giving us such a devastatingly logical basis upon which to conclude that the collapse of the Church’s missionary fervor is inextricably connected to Her abandonment of the infallible and irreformable and heaven-bound Dogma:
Extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Now it is possible of course to read the Catechism and perform the necessary gymnastics in order top absolve it of outright heresy.
But if one wishers to receive the Catholic Truth- taught in Scripture, unanimously asserted by the Fathers, and heaven-protected, then read the actual magisterial acts above.
God be with you, PC.
You too, Nina.
I am sorry to have to say you clearly deny the Catholic Faith, Nina, and so you have, for now, made the decision to which your informed conscience has led you.
God have mercy on you.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 24, 2012
Okay Rick, fair enough: you go with a sundry assortment of medieval popes while I go with the Catechisms, the distilled Spirit-inspired guidance of the Magisterium.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 24, 2012
And, of course, it’s the Magisterium that speaks definitively, not individual popes.
TradCatholic says:
Apr 25, 2012
I linked to here from elsewhere. Oh, were it so that Rome could be so unambiguous. Up until VII, it was perfectly and positively clear that the Catholic Church was the One True Church. Today, not so.
As for Protestant Christian, Nina, and HHAmbrose above…Perhaps you should look up the Baltimore Catechism #4 and look for Q121 Are all bound to belong to the Catholic Church?
If you read it carefully you will find that yes, a non-Catholic can be saved IF and ONLY IF certain conditions are met.
1)If they are baptized
2)If they never had doubts about their religion being the true Church
3)If they do not have mortal sin on their soul
4)If they make an act of perfect contrition
I have NEVER met a Protestant (and I used to be one) who met all these conditions.
The mortal sin is the killer here, because Protestants do not have confession and those who do, don’t have valid priests. There is thus no way to have mortal sin forgiven except through perfect contrition.
Perfect contrition is VERY, VERY difficult. Alas, 99.8% of us are only capable of imperfect contrition, i.e. fearing Hell and dreading the loss of Heaven.
As such, it is almost impossible for any Protestant to gain salvation.
This is a hard fact, but nonetheless true.
As illustrated above, Popes from previous generations were not afraid to declare this fact. Modern Popes have sought to cloud this fact by creating new words (subsists in) and remaining silent about the necessity of the priesthood. And for what? To appease the Protestants and risk losing their souls to damnation.
Horrifying.
May God have Mercy on us all.
May Our Blessed Mother lead all men to Our Lord.
I think I may write about this myself.
http://www.motherinthevale.blogspot.com
These conditions are rarely met.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 30, 2012
“If you read it carefully you will find that yes, a non-Catholic can be saved IF and ONLY IF certain conditions are met.
1)If they are baptized
2)If they never had doubts about their religion being the true Church
3)If they do not have mortal sin on their soul
4)If they make an act of perfect contrition
I have NEVER met a Protestant (and I used to be one) who met all these conditions.
The mortal sin is the killer here, because Protestants do not have confession and those who do, don’t have valid priests. There is thus no way to have mortal sin forgiven except through perfect contrition.”
Why would you believe that one of your catechisms is mere sophistry? You are trying to argue that it “really means” the opposite of what it is clearly stating. But if it was intending to say what you want it to say i.e. that no Protestant can be saved, then don’t you think it would clearly say so in plain unambiguous words? I wouldn’t insult your Magisterium as you are implicitly doing!
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 30, 2012
“As such, it is almost impossible for any Protestant to gain salvation.”
If what you are arguing was really the case, then it wouldn’t be “almost” impossible, it would be impossible. Please make up your mind: either your Magisterium’s Baltimore Catechism is wrong or those medieval popes were wrong. I go with the Magisterium, you go with the medieval popes. So be it.
Woody says:
Apr 25, 2012
Protestant Christian, you have almost sealed your fate. The difference between you and that person as characterized in the Baltimore Catechism is NOT knowing THE Catholic Church. In the days before the internet, it was very possible for people to indeed have no knowledge of the Catholic Church yet they were properly baptised by protestant missionaries. These poor souls went through the rest of their lives never knowing the Catholic Church and upon death and judgment, went before God who knows they were ignorant of the Catholic Church. That is their salvation: pure,true ignorance BUT properly baptised. PC, you do not suffer from ignorance of the Catholic Church. Therefore, you cannot plead ignorance before God. Neither can I. Please think further on your opinion of the Catholic Church and consider why and how did Jesus Christ’s apostles and disciples carry on Christ’s teachings. Remember, the Bible of today did not exist upon Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. All they had were his words: “Do this in memory of me.” I hope and pray you find your way to the One True Church that Christ created on this earth.
Steve says:
Apr 25, 2012
PC, don’t get too glub. There has always been exceptions to the rule originally stated. It involves invincible ignorance. God will never hold us to that which we either could not have known, or could not have accomplished. On the other hand, if we did know, yet refused, by an act of our will, then our souls could indeed be in jeopardy. Plus, one must have no mortal sins on one’s soul. How likely is that?
Thomas says:
Apr 27, 2012
I believe in the Catholic Church and in every thing she teaches. I believe 100% in the quotes and in the Magisterium. Salvation is so important to me that I pray for all my relatives (Christian and other wise) to become Catholic. That said, I truly believe that God desires that all men and women be saved. That is part of the mystery. I am not God. I think anyone who rejects the truth of the Catholic Church places himself solely in the grace and mercy of God. I believe that our God is merciful so it is possible that salvation exists outside the Church. Only God knows the answer to that question. For me and mine, I will follow the teaching of the Catholic Church and magisterium which has the deposit of the faith handed down by Christ himself.
Protestant Christian says:
Apr 30, 2012
“I believe that our God is merciful so it is possible that salvation exists outside the Church.”
I agree, and so does the Magisterium. That’s good enough for me. Thank God those medieval popes weren’t right after all.
Brian says:
May 11, 2012
Why do you play with fire? We keep giving you the truth and you take your on divine lacking advice.
Protestant Christian says:
May 20, 2012
If you’ve been reading these comments, you’ll see that there are several different versions of “THE” truth on this thread alone, coming from Catholic Christians with differing perspectives as well as myself. Which is a jolly good thing, IMO.
On this thread, I and others agree with the Magisterium, some prefer medieval popes.
Jose says:
Apr 29, 2012
I think that the truth is what God says, not what the Pope says, and if the truth is the word of God, that is written in the Bible, and I couldnt find the word “Religion” or “Pope” or “Church” or “Catechism” within, I only found the words “Love” “Grace”:
Acts 4:12 None other name…whereby we must be saved
Jn.10:9 I am the door: by Me if any man enter in…be saved
Jn.10:1 He that entereth not by the door…but climbeth up some other way…is a thief and a robber
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16
Rom.3:20a By deeds of law shall no flesh be justified in His sight
2Tim.1:9 Saved us, not according to our works, but according to His grace
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
(John 3:17)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(Ephesians 2:8,9
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
(Hebrews 1:14)
Brian says:
May 11, 2012
The phrase “Holy Trinity” is not in the Bible. Do you not believe in the Holy Trinity? The word ‘Bible’ is not in the Bible yet you believe in it. The Catholic Church gave authority to the Bible and yet you believe in it. You are not complete in your understanding of the Bible. Here are some more excerpts to help you find truth and salvation:
Isa. 35:8, 54:13-17 – this prophecy refers to the Church as the Holy Way where sons will be taught by God and they will not err. The Church has been given the gift of infallibility when teaching about faith and morals, where her sons are taught directly by God and will not err. This gift of infallibility means that the Church is prevented from teaching error by the power of the Holy Spirit (it does not mean that Church leaders do not sin!)
Acts 9:2; 22:4; 24:14,22 – the early Church is identified as the “Way” prophesied in Isaiah 35:8 where fools will not err therein.
Matt. 10:20; Luke 12:12 – Jesus tells His apostles it is not they who speak, but the Spirit of their Father speaking through them. If the Spirit is the one speaking and leading the Church, the Church cannot err on matters of faith and morals.
Matt. 16:18 – Jesus promises the gates of Hades would never prevail against the Church. This requires that the Church teach infallibly. If the Church did not have the gift of infallibility, the gates of Hades and error would prevail. Also, since the Catholic Church was the only Church that existed up until the Reformation, those who follow the Protestant reformers call Christ a liar by saying that Hades did prevail.
Matt. 16:19 – for Jesus to give Peter and the apostles, mere human beings, the authority to bind in heaven what they bound on earth requires infallibility. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit and has nothing to do with the holiness of the person receiving the gift.
Matt. 18:17-18 – the Church (not Scripture) is the final authority on questions of the faith. This demands infallibility when teaching the faith. She must be prevented from teaching error in order to lead her members to the fullness of salvation.
Matt. 28:20 – Jesus promises that He will be with the Church always. Jesus’ presence in the Church assures infallible teaching on faith and morals. With Jesus present, we can never be deceived.
Mark 8:33 – non-Catholics sometimes use this verse to down play Peter’s authority. This does not make sense. In this verse, Jesus rebukes Peter to show the import of His Messianic role as the Savior of humanity. Moreover, at this point, Peter was not yet the Pope with the keys, and Jesus did not rebuke Peter for his teaching. Jesus rebuked Peter for his lack of understanding.
Luke 10:16 – whoever hears you, hears me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me. Jesus is very clear that the bishops of the Church speak with Christ’s infallible authority.
Luke 22:32 – Jesus prays for Peter, that his faith may not fail. Jesus’ prayer for Peter’s faith is perfectly efficacious, and this allows Peter to teach the faith without error (which means infallibly).
John 11:51-52 – some non-Catholics argue that sinners cannot have the power to teach infallibly. But in this verse, God allows Caiaphas to prophesy infallibly, even though he was evil and plotted Jesus’ death. God allows sinners to teach infallibly, just as He allows sinners to become saints. As a loving Father, He exalts His children, and is bound by His own justice to give His children a mechanism to know truth from error.
1 & 2 Peter – for example, Peter denied Christ, he was rebuked by his greatest bishop (Paul), and yet he wrote two infallible encyclicals. Further, if Peter could teach infallibly by writing, why could he not also teach infallibly by preaching? And why couldn’t his successors so teach as well?
Gen. to Deut.; Psalms; Paul – Moses and maybe Paul were murderers and David was an adulterer and murderer, but they also wrote infallibly. God uses us sinful human beings because when they respond to His grace and change their lives, we give God greater glory and His presence is made more manifest in our sinful world.
John 14:16 – Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would be with the Church forever. The Spirit prevents the teaching of error on faith and morals. It is guaranteed because the guarantee comes from God Himself who cannot lie.
John 14:26 – Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would teach the Church (the apostles and successors) all things regarding the faith. This means that the Church can teach us the right moral positions on such things as in vitro fertilization, cloning and other issues that are not addressed in the Bible. After all, these issues of morality are necessary for our salvation, and God would not leave such important issues to be decided by us sinners without His divine assistance.
John 16:12 – Jesus had many things to say but the apostles couldn’t bear them at that point. This demonstrates that the Church’s infallible doctrine develops over time. All public Revelation was completed with the death of the last apostle, but the doctrine of God’s Revelation develops as our minds and hearts are able to welcome and understand it. God teaches His children only as much as they can bear, for their own good.
John 16:13 – Jesus promises that the Spirit will “guide” the Church into all truth. Our knowledge of the truth develops as the Spirit guides the Church, and this happens over time.
1 Cor. 2:13 – Paul explains that what the ministers teach is taught, not by human wisdom, but by the Spirit. The ministers are led to interpret and understand the spiritual truths God gives them over time.
Eph. 4:13,15 – Paul indicates that attaining to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood is a process. We are to grow up in every way into Christ. Doctrine (which means “teaching”) develops as we understand God’s Revelation.
Acts 15:27-28 – the apostles know that their teaching is being guided by the Holy Spirit. He protects the Church from deception.
Gal. 2:11-14 – non-Catholics sometimes use this verse to diminish Peter’s evident authority over the Church. This is misguided. In this verse, Paul does not oppose Peter’s teaching, but his failure to live by it. Infallibility (teaching without error) does not mean impeccability (living without sinning). Peter was the one who taught infallibly on the Gentile’s salvation in Acts 10,11. With this rebuke, Paul is really saying “Peter, you are our leader, you teach infallibly, and yet your conduct is inconsistent with these facts. You of all people!” The verse really underscores, and not diminishes, the importance of Peter’s leadership in the Church.
Eph. 3:10 – the wisdom of God is known, even to the intellectually superior angels, through the Church (not the Scriptures). This is an incredible verse, for it tells us that God’s infinite wisdom comes to us through the Church. For that to happen, the Church must be protected from teaching error on faith and morals (or she wouldn’t be endowed with the wisdom of God).
Eph. 3:9 – this, in fact, is a mystery hidden for all ages – that God manifests His wisdom through one infallible Church for all people.
Eph. 3:20 – God’s glory is manifested in the Church by the power of the Spirit that works within the Church’s leaders. As a Father, God exalts His children to roles of leadership within the body of Christ.
Eph. 5:23-27, Col. 1:18 – Christ is the head of the Church, His Bride, for which He died to make it Holy and without blemish. There is only one Church, just as Christ only has one Bride.
Eph. 5:32- Paul calls the Church a “mystery.” This means that the significance of the Church as the kingdom of God in our midst cannot be understood by reason alone. Understanding the Church also requires faith. “Church” does not mean a building of believers. That is not a mystery. Non-Catholics often view church as mere community, but not the supernatural mystery of Christ physically present among us.
1 Thess. 5:21 – Paul commands us to test everything. But we must have something against which to test. This requires one infallible guide that is available to us, and this guide is the Catholic Church, whose teachings on faith and morals have never changed.
1 Tim. 3:15 – Paul says the apostolic Church (not Scripture) is the pillar and foundation of the truth. But for the Church to be the pinnacle and foundation of truth, she must be protected from teaching error, or infallible. She also must be the Catholic Church, whose teachings on faith and morals have not changed for 2,000 years. God loves us so much that He gave us a Church that infallibly teaches the truth so that we have the fullness of the means of salvation in His only begotten Son.
1 John 4:6 – John writes that whoever knows God “listens to us” (the bishops and successors to the apostles). Then John writes “This is the way we discern truth and error. John does not say “reading the Bible is the way we discern truth and error.” But if listening to mere human beings helps us discern truth and error, God would have had to endow his chosen leaders with the special gift of infallibility, so that they would be prevented from teaching error.
Matt. to Rev. – we must also note that not all Christian doctrines are explicit in Scripture (for example, the dogma of the Blessed Trinity). However, infallibility is strongly inferred from the foregoing passages. Non-Catholic Christians should ask themselves why they accept the Church’s teaching on the three persons of the Trinity, the two natures of Christ in one divine person, and the New Testament canon of Scripture (all defined by the Catholic Church), but not other teachings regarding the Eucharist, Mary, the saints, and purgatory?
Ref: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_church.html#the_church-IV
PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN says:
Jun 28, 2012
“I think that the truth is what God says, not what the Pope says”
I agree, especially as what popes say often differs between one pope and another, as one would expect.
Jon Haines says:
May 1, 2012
Obviously a post that will stir the pot, but whether you agree with the quotes or not…they need to be accounted for. Thanks for the post and not fearing the backlash.
T.V. Weber says:
May 2, 2012
OK, I am Eastern Orthodox. To us, Roman Catholics and Protestants are like two sides of the same Western coin. Don’t want to get into the argument about whether ya’ll can be saved or not, because it seems you both can.
But, it is the St. Peter thing that gets me. In the article above, it seems that Pope Pius IX referred to Roman as “the See of St. Peter.” I have read the Bible from cover to cover more than 10 times. I have also spent a good deal of time studying church history. It seems that Peter was one of the Apostles, nothing more nothing less. Sometimes, he did talk too much. Sometimes he spoke first and thought later. He, like fellow Apostle, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus. (Of course, the two betrayals were a bit different.) Peter repented; Judas hanged himself. Peter was restored to a position of trust. While Judas . . . (OK, let’s not go there).
Now, here is where it gets murky. Roman Catholics believe Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. Orthodox tradition sees Peter getting to Rome but not much more. Many Protestants are not even sure that he got there. But anyone with a even a modicum of Church history knows that St. Peter was the first Bishop of Antioch. It is not a matter of faith! Christian, Jew, Agnostic or Atheist, history clearly shows the Apostle Peter to have been the first Bishop of Antioch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Patriarchs_of_Antioch
Antioch is still an autocephelous See within the Eastern Orthodox Church. Yet, it seems that a universal Roman Catholic truth goes as follows:
A. Peter was a special Apostle with a unique hold on the “keys to the kingdom.”
B. Peter somehow passed his “keys” to his successor.
C. That his successor Bishop retains Peter’s primacy.
Now, if I were convinced that A, B and C were true, the only logical conclusion that I could draw is that Antioch was the See that retained the primacy. It would not be Rome, not be Constantinople, not Jerusalem, not Moscow, but only Antioch.
But, fear not. We believe that the ONLY head of the Church is Jesus Christ.
Brian says:
May 11, 2012
“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” If the Eastern Orthodox religion is correct, the Devil has won. We know he didn’t win otherwise the Bible, the word of God, would be wrong. Eastern Orthodoxy is a religion based on a schism from the Catholic Church, the Church founded by Jesus. By definition of its origination, any other church is incorrect. The Church was not founded in the year 1054 (the year of the schism).
HHAmbrose says:
May 5, 2012
As mentioned in the introduction, these two lists are helpful in moving toward a proper understanding of St. Peter as the “Prince of the Apostles” and as the first pope as proclaimed by Christ Our Lord.
10 Biblical Reasons Christ Founded the Papacy
http://www.stpeterslist.com/45/10-biblical-reasons-christ-founded-the-papacy/
13 Biblical Reasons Peter was the Prince of the Apostles
http://www.stpeterslist.com/94/13-biblical-reasons-st-peter-was-the-prince-of-the-apostles/
Protestant Christian says:
May 9, 2012
From my reading of the New Testament, I doubt that the Apostle Peter was much interested in achieving Princehood.
Lionel Andrades says:
May 10, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
NO DENIAL FROM DIOCESE OF WORCESTER, USA: All religious communities are permitted to hold the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and Vatican Council II (AG 7)
The men’s religious communities in the diocese can teach that in reality everyone needs to convert into the Catholic Church for salvation and there are no known exceptions.
Also the women’s religious communities and lay persons in the diocese can affirm the literal interpretation of the dogma and Ad Gentes 7 along with implicit baptism of desire.
They agree that they do not know anyone saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance.
Explicitly known baptism of desire was the heresy, knowingly or unknowingly, of the Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Richard Cushing. If the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 assumed that the baptism of desire was explicitly known then it would be an objective, factual error.
Fr. Leonard Feeney’s position is consistent with the Church Fathers, Church Councils, popes, saints, Catechisms, Vatican Council I, Vatican Council II (AG 7) and the Letter of the Holy Office 1949(reference to ‘the dogma’, the ‘infallible statement’).
An apology is over due from the Archdiocese of Boston and the Jesuit Superior General.
-Lionel Andrades
No one from the Diocese of Worcester,USA will answer if they know any one saved with the baptism of desire or in invincible ignorance
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2012/05/no-one-from-diocese-of-worcesterusa.html
BISHOP ROBERT J.MCMANUS CAN ALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN WORCESTER BELIEVE THAT WE DO NOT PERSONALLY KNOW ANY CASE SAVED WITH THE BAPTISM OF DESIRE?
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2012/05/bishop-robert-jmcmanus-can-all.html
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2012/05/no-denial-from-diocese-of-worcester-usa.html