Quo Vadis Youth

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JMJ
April 2008 Issue 1.4
Quo Vadis Newsletter
Salvation II

Contents
Are Non-Catholics Going to Heaven?
The Sacraments and Salvation
Solo Fide, are we saved by faith alone?
Catechism Quote of the Month.
Book of the Month
Novena of the Month

Are Non-Catholics going to heaven?
Salvation outside the Catholic Church
By Mary Clare Piecynski
            You might have heard the phrase “outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation.” This statement seems harsh, unrealistic, after all, why should the Catholic Church have a monopoly on salvation? We need to unpack this teaching of the Catholic Church to understand the Catholic position on salvation.
            Let’s begin with some quotes to help us elucidate the Catholic position. The first if from Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio, which states “for it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. Another document from Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, teaches
“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…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. (LG 16)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also says that “The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men" (CCC780). Ok, those are extremely clear statements that one must be a member of the Catholic Church in order to be saved. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, however, explains that the Council was not aiming those words “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..” (CCC 847) The Catholic Church does also teach that God can “lead those, who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to the faith without which it is impossible to please him. (Ad gentes 7)
But, does this current teaching of the Catholic Church agree with the Early Church? Even a cursory glance at the Father’s reveals that yes, they believed that membership in the Catholic Church was necessary for salvation. For instance, Saint Cyprian of Carthage wrote around 250 AD that “He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother" (The Unity of the Catholic Church 6, 1st ed. [A.D. 251]). Lactantius, another early Church Father asserted "It is, therefore, the Catholic Church alone which retains true worship. This is the fountain of truth; this, the domicile of faith; this, the temple of God. Whoever does not enter there or whoever does not go out from there, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation..." (Divine Institutes 4:30:11–13 [A.D. 307]). Saint Augustine also teaches that the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation "whoever is separated from this Catholic Church, by this single sin of being separated from the unity of Christ, no matter how estimable a life he may imagine he is living, shall not have life, but the wrath of God rests upon him" (Letters 141:5 [A.D. 412]. Saint Augustine also desires that “they may have within the peace of the Church that holy sacrament for their salvation (LETTER LXI. (A.D. 401.)) One last quote from Eusebius shows that he also believed the Church necessary for salvation “wherefore he became an enemy of his Catholic Church, and alienated and estranged himself from the compassion of God, and fled as far as possible from his salvation.” In sum, throughout the Early Church Fathers, one clearly sees a continual teaching that salvation must in some way come through the Catholic Church.
            So, what exactly does it mean to belong to the Catholic Church? The Catholic Church has long taught that one need not be a visible member of the Catholic Church in order to be saved. In fact, since one becomes initiated into the Catholic Church through baptism, and there is only one baptism (Eph 4:5), in a spiritual way, all the baptized are in an imperfect communion with the Catholic Church. This is because “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (I Cor 12:13) and that Body is the Church, the Bride of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this to be true in the words “baptism incorporates us into the Church” (CCC 1267) and “baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church.” (CCC 1271) Unitatis redintegratio teaches along the same lines
“for men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.”
Hence, since baptism makes all men brothers, and if brothers, then they must have the same mother, the Catholic Church through which all men are saved. Therefore, all properly baptized individuals have hope of salvation!
            But, one might ask, does this idea of salvation through one Church square with Scripture? Or is it something that evolved after the death of the Apostles? Throughout the Bible, Jesus continually refers to one flock (Luke 12:32 , John 10:16 , Acts 20:28 ) one Church, Jesus tells Peter that He will build His church, not churches. “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18 ) and prays during His last hours on earth for the Church to have unity (John 17:21). Remarkably enough, in this same passage in John, Jesus says that by this unity of the Church the “world may know that you have sent me.” This unity has been kept for more than 2000 years by the Catholic Church whose leaders (popes and bishops) can be traced directly back to the Apostles. Therefore, if Jesus established one Church, it follows that salvation flows from that one Church.
            In summary, the Early Church Fathers, continual Catholic Church teaching and Scripture all concur that one needs to be in some way united with the one Church that Christ founded in order to achieve salvation. From Scripture to Saint Cyprian to the Second Vatican Council, we see the one Church Christ founded to be the means of salvation for myriads of believers. Through being united with Christ’s Church in baptism, Christians wait with the hope of salvation that comes through that same Church.

The Sacraments and Salvation.
By Mary Clare Piecynski

Everyone knows that one needs grace for salvation, but the question arises how does one receive this grace? The ordinary means by which grace is given is through the Sacraments Christ instituted Sacraments, by definition, are “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.” (CCC 1131) The Catechism explains that “Christ now acts through the sacraments he instated to communicate his grace.” (CCC 1084) Just as there were sacraments in the Old Covenant for the people of the Old Testament (for example circumcision) the new sacraments of the New Covenant supersede the old, imparting grace while those of the old merely prefigured grace (Council of Florence), hence “The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.” (CCC 1129) The death of Christ was the sufficient cause of our salvation and the sacraments are the way He brings about our salvation. They don’t supplant but tie us into the death and resurrection of Christ. The Council of Sardica taught that “these Sacraments are received unto salvation and everlasting life.” Saint Cyprian affirms “in the saving sacraments, when necessity compels and when God bestows His pardon, divine benefits are bestowed fully upon believers.” (St Cyprian of Carthage Letter of Cyprian to a Certain Magnus. AD 255) The Catechism in paragraph 1127 states “celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies.”

How do the sacraments help us? Well, they allow us to achieve a personal relationship with Jesus. For it is through the sacraments that God is radically personally present to us. God wants us personal relationship with Him and so has instituted the sacraments as a means to draw us to Himself. The sacraments also give life to the soul. God comes to us at birth and gives heavenly life to us and through our lives every moment of our existence is in someway linked to the possibility of a sacramental encounter. When God touches us with the sacraments He puts us in touch with Christ and His mediation so that we are grafted into the mediation that Christ effected between God and man. God brings us back into communion with Him through the grace given in the sacraments. Sacraments are an extension of God’s providence, His care for the world shows itself in many ways, but especially through the sacraments. Saint Ambrose writes that “Christ, then, feeds His Church with these sacraments, by means of which the substance of the soul is strengthened, and seeing the continual progress of her grace.” (Saint Ambrose on the Mysteries Chapter IX)Through the grace given in the sacraments He penetrates free persons so that we can see Him as He is. In essence, sacraments were instituted by Christ to bring believers deeper into communion with Him. Sacraments allow us to share in God’s own divine life and graft us into Him. Through the sacraments, God’s grace is freely given and man is once again made right before his Maker.

Solo Fide
Are we saved by faith alone?
By Mary Clare Piecynski
            Is faith alone all that you need for salvation? Protestants hold fast to the cry of “solo fide” or faith alone, but a careful examination of both Scripture and Tradition reveal that no; faith alone does not save a person. In fact, faith alone is only mentioned on time in the Bible where it is actually condemned. Saint James writes “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”James 2:24
            So, does the Bible teach sola fide? Protestants say yes and one verse they often point to is John 3:16which states “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.   Another verse is Acts 16:31 which reads, “Believeon the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” Or again, Romans 3:28 “therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Protestants also use Romans 10:9 “That if you shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.” “Wait a minute” you say. Doesn’t Roman’s 3 say that we are justified by faith apart from the works of the law? That seems to agree with the Protestant position. Actually, the works of the law that Saint Paul is referring to are the works of the Old Testament law (See Romans 2-3). The other verses that Protestants point to do not preclude the Catholic doctrine of works; they simply do not mention them.
What about the Catholic position? First of all, let’s lay out the Catholic view on how we are saved. Catholics believe that it is grace that saves. Because of Christ’s salvific work on the cross people are saved. Catholics do not believe that we are saved without Christ’s sacrifice and only because of the good works that we do. The Catechism teaches us

Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation. "Since "without faith it is impossible to please [God]" and to attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life 'But he who endures to the end.'" (CCC 161)
Also, Catholics shun the notion that we earn salvation by good works. Salvation is a free gift, given to us by God, not something to be purchased by doing good.
But, you may ask, is the Catholic belief in works Biblically based? Yes, in fact, many Bible passages point to the truth that works cooperating with grace is an importance aspect of salvation. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21 “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Also, Gal 5:6 “for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Or again, "if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17) Ephesians 2:10 goes along the same theme “For we are God's workmanship, created inChrist Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Another powerful passage is James 2:14-26“what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. These and other verses throughout the Holy Scriptures show that actions are important to our salvation.
         How about in Church Tradition? Does Tradition bear out the belief in works or are we just misinterpreting what the Bible says? The Early Church Fathers all believed in the importance of works. For example, Tatian the Syrian in 170 AD writes "[T]he wicked man is justly punished, having become depraved of himself; and the just man is worthy of praise for his honest deeds, since it was in his free choice that he did not transgress the will of God" (Address to the Greeks 7 [A.D. 170]). Also, Ignatius of Antioch teaches the importance of works in these words "Be pleasing to him whose soldiers you are, and whose pay you receive. May none of you be found to be a deserter. Let your baptism be your armament, your faith your helmet, your love your spear, your endurance your full suit of armor. Let your works be as your deposited withholdings, so that you may receive the back-pay which has accrued to you" (Letter to Polycarp 6:2 [A.D. 110]). Athenagoras writes “the reward or punishment of lives ill or well spent is proportioned to the merit of each" (The Resurrection of the Dead 25 [A.D. 178]).
Tertullian states "Again, we [Christians] affirm that a judgment has been ordained by God according to the merits of every man" (To the Nations 19 [A.D. 195]). The Council of Orange II proclaimed "[G]race is preceded by no merits. A reward is due to good works, if they are performed, but grace, which is not due, precedes [good works], that they may be done" (Canons on grace19 [A.D. 529]).
            In essence, solo fide is not a Biblical concept and those who hold it have difficulty reconciling the belief with the numerous Scriptures that show the works are intrinsic to a person’s salvation. If one is to hold to solo fide then he must ignore also the teaching of the Fathers of the Church, whose witness is important to show what the early Christians believed. To conclude, salvation is not earned by works, rather, grace empowers nature to fulfill it’s mission to do good and avoid evil.

Catechism Quote of the Month.

“Our salvation flows from God’s initiative of love for us, because ‘he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins’ (1 John 4:10).” CCC 620

Book of the Month
The Salvation Controversy by James Akin
The Salvation Controversy is a great resource for one’s questions about salvation. The book covers topics such as faith, works, justification and salvation as a past, present and future process. Easy to read and understand while packed full of helpful Bible quotes and clear explanations of how one is saved The Salvation Controversy is a fabulous addition to anyone’s library.
Available from the Coming Home Network International for $9.95.

Novena to the Holy Spirit
(http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/pentecost/pent12.htm)
Friday after Ascension Thursday -- Saturday, the Vigil of Pentecost
This is the prototype of all novenas. It commemorates the nine days between the Ascension of Our Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost Sunday. During this time Our Lady and the twelve Apostles prayed in the upper room for the coming of the Paraclete.
O Holy Spirit, O my God, I adore Thee, and acknowledge, here in Thy divine presence, that I am nothing and can do nothing without Thee. Come, great Paraclete, Thou father of the poor, Thou comforter the best, fulfil the promise of our blessed Savior, Who would not leave us orphans, and come into the mind and the heart of Thy poor, unworthy creature, as Thou didst descend on the sacred day of Pentecost on the holy Mother of Jesus and on His first disciples. Grant that I may participate in those gifts which Thou didst communicate to them so wonderfully, and with so much mercy and generosity. Take from my heart whatever is not pleasing to Thee, and make of it a worthy dwelling-place for Thyself. Illumine my mind, that I may see and understand the things that are for my eternal good. Inflame my heart with pure love of Thee, that I may be cleansed from the dross of all inordinate attachments, and that my whole life may be hidden with Jesus in God. Strengthen my will, that I may be made comformable to Thy divine will, and be guided by Thy holy inspirations. Aid me by Thy grace to practice the divine lessons of humility, poverty, obedience, and contempt of the world, which Jesus taught us in His mortal life.
Oh, rend the heavens, and come down, consoling Spirit! that inspired and encouraged by Thee, I may faithfully comply with the duties of my state, carry my daily cross most patiently, and endeavor to accomplish the divine will with the utmost perfection. Spirit of love! Spirit of purity! Spirit of peace! Sanctify my soul more and more, and give me that heavenly peace which the world cannot give. Bless our Holy Father the Pope, bless the Church, bless our bishops, our priests, all Religious Orders, and all the faithful, that they may be filled with the spirit of Christ and labor earnestly for the spread of His kingdom.
O Holy Spirit, Thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, grant me, I beseech Thee, the intentions of this novena. May Thy will be done in me and through me. Mayest Thou be praised and glorified forevermore!

Amen.