“Outside the Church there is no salvation” (extra ecclesiam nulla salus) is a doctrine of the Catholic Faith that was taught By Jesus Christ to His Apostles, preached by the Fathers, defined by popes and councils and piously believed by the faithful in every age of the Church. Here is how the Popes defined it:
“There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved.” (Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215.)
“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, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302.)
“The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. 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 he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church.” (Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441.)
But man, following the example of his natural father, Adam, often disobeys the authority of God. The fact that the doctrine had to be thrice defined itself proves the Church’s paternal solicitude in correcting her erring children who fall into indifferentism. The first goal of Saint Benedict Center’s doctrinal Crusade is to defend this doctrine. We present here a selection of various articles written for that end.
Here are some recommended starting points on this all-important subject:
The Popes on Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus
The Fathers of the Church on Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus
Doctrinal Summary
Sentimental Theology
Pelagius Lives
Our Status in the Church (focusing on the doctrinal stance of Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran, photo by Livioandronico2013 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The misdirected effort to unify Christians without seeking converts to Catholicism was already under way in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1929, Pope Pus XI wrote on this subject in his encyclical Mortalium Animos, in which he … Continue reading
This is a bit antiquated, but it’s just come to my attention. Teddy wanted to make sure Bobby got credit for his contribution to twentieth-century Catholic doctrinal development. (Cardinal Newman and Robert Kennedy: the two names should stand side-by-side.) This … Continue reading
When we say that lex orandi lex credendi est, we mean that the Church’s prayers reveal to us her doctrines, and that salutary doctrine informs our prayer life. This point can be illustrated with any and every teaching of our … Continue reading
In his Syllabus of Modern Errors, Blessed Pope Pius IX condemned the following, under the heading, “III. INDIFFERENTISM, LATITUDINARIANISM”: 15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider … Continue reading
For those who were liturgically tormented in their youth by weapons of Mass destruction, it’s almost a sweet revenge to hear the words recently spoken by Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline … Continue reading
“Indifferentism” is the belief that it does not matter what religion a man professes, he can be saved nonetheless. The Church has roundly condemned this notion as a heresy in very strong language, holding it to be a denial of … Continue reading
Brother Thomas Mary, author of They Fought The Good Fight, wrote an article many years ago that deserves wider circulation and attention. It’s called, simply, “Doctrinal Summary” — an accurate name, as the piece summarizes Father Feeney’s doctrinal stance, but … Continue reading
[Tower of David Ministry] Father Feeney was a priest of the Society of Jesus until, in 1949, he co-founded the religious order, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Mancipia Immaculati Cordis Mariae), whose acronym is MICM. This priest was … Continue reading
We will tell the history of the Center in a question-and-answer format. How did Saint Benedict Center begin? In 1940, a prominent Catholic laywoman, Catherine Goddard Clarke, sought permission of the then Archbishop of Boston, William Cardinal O’Connell, to establish … Continue reading
And just the way there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ, likewise there is no salvation apart from His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church. Abbot Marmion insists that Jesus Christ and His one true Church form one mystery (emphasis his). It is not two separate entities, as if we can accept Christ and reject His Church. No! Christ and His Church, His Mystical Body, form one inseparable mystery, and to reject His Church is to reject His Body. The Catholic Church is the extension of the Incarnation in time. To reject His Holy Catholic Church is to reject Christ Himself. Continue reading
Anne Hathaway, who stars in silly movies, has left the Catholic Church because her brother, Thomas, has come out of the closet as a sodomite. Now, we don’t generally look to Hollywood for heroic professions of the apostolic faith. No, … Continue reading
First published in 1984, and more recently updated, Brother Leonard Mary’s analytical commentary and reference book, The Church of Salvation, is back in print. As a loyal and original disciple of Father Feeney, and, actually, of all the members of … Continue reading
We are in the midst of the Chair of Unity Octave. This is a good time for some considerations on what constitutes true Church unity and why it is so important. The fundamental truth concerning Christian unity seems, in these … Continue reading
Dr. Jeff Mirus has an article in the Commentary section of his Catholic Culture website called “The Coming of Christ in the Flesh,” in which he attempts to convince a biblical fundamentalist that people need not have explicit knowledge of, … Continue reading
More pro-Father Feeney and pro-extra ecclesiam nulla salus blogs are showing up on the Internet. I have recently been made aware of three of them, and noticed that they have some excellent postings and links. Regular readers know that it … Continue reading
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