'Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus'
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There are some questions which cannot be answered adequately with an absolute negative or affirmative. Even when a categorical " Yes " or " No " may be the correct answer, it may not be a satisfactory one. Likewise, a plain statement of fact might be insufficient for its purpose, and might even do more harm than good, or cause more confusion than order.
Whether it is desired to put the subject of this paper in the form of a question or of a statement, certainly the correct form of the answer to the question, or the correct form of the statement, would fall under the category of those subjects which require, not merely reasons, but analytical treatment. Thus if it were asked, "Is there any salvation outside the Church?", the strictly correct answer would be, "No!" and if it were stated that there is no salvation outside the Church, correctness again is observed; but in both cases, explanation is required.
For the sake of clarity, it may be permissible to analogize what might be called the constituent elements of the Church with the constituents of a human being, i. e., bearing in mind, that the soul, in both cases, is the more important of the two. This procedure being acceptable, it may be stated that
(1) he who belongs to the body and the soul of the Church, may be saved:
(2) he who belongs to the soul, and not the body, may be saved:
(3) he who belongs to the body, and not the soul, may not be saved:
(4) he who belongs neither to body nor soul, may not be saved.
To take the first proposition first. To belong to the body, one must be incorporated through Baptism and Profession of Faith. "Unless a man be born again, of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Christ therefore, decrees that, to enter the body of the Church, one must use the one means stipulated. In order to enter heaven, something must take place to pave the way. Since God has given that something to His Church, and commanded the Church to apply the same as a condition for eligibility to enter heaven, it follows that heaven cannot be attained without the fulfillment of that condition. To enter heaven, which is a part of the Church (in so far as we are concerned), one must enter that part of the Church which leads to the part in heaven; and in order to enter that part (on earth) which leads to the part in heaven, one must use the only means of entry provided. Admission into heaven, therefore, presupposes that the candidates for such have entered into the ante-chamber (the Church on earth). Such entrance can be effected by using the one means of ingress established by the Head of the whole Church. To enter this Church, as Christ clearly indicates in John x, there can be no fence-climbing or "gate-crashing".
The indelible character marking the soul at Baptism proclaims the truth that, absolutely speaking, there can be no such person as an ex-Christian. Once a Christian, always a Christian. This means, that once a person is incorporated with the Church, he remains always in the body of the Church to some extent. By excommunication, a person may be severed from the visible body of the Church in so far as membership and the fruits of membership are concerned, or in so far as these fruits may constitute the effects of Baptism, but he retains forever the seal or character of the Sacrament. To assert the contrary would be tantamount to saying, that a Christian could revoke or lose his Baptism altogether, and that another Baptism would be necessary for his reconciliation with the Church. In the event that we are good enough to approach the portals of heaven in due time, Saint Peter doubtlessly will desire to ask us the state of our record, but first he will scrutinize us for the mark of Baptism, the sign of a Christian, the evidence sine qua non.
When a person is baptized, not only does he become a member of the body of the Church, but he is also united with the soul of the Church: "Unless a man be born again, of water and the Holy Spirit . . ." But though the baptismal character marks a man's association with the body of the Church, his standing in both body and soul may be forfeited; in body and soul by profession of heresy, or for other grave reasons, and in soul only, by wilful neglect of that lifeboat of salvation called Penance after the baptismal ship of salvation has been scuttled to a certain degree. Though the baptismal character remains, other effects of Baptism are lost, and can be regained only by utilizing the complementary means of salvation established by Christ. Just as a man, after opening the seacocks of a ship at sea to scuttle it, will go down to the depths with the ship if he does not take to a lifeboat, so also a man may accompany his sabotaged baptismal character to the depths of hell unless he makes use of the means provided to save it. Therefore, if a person is in the body of the Church, and remains united to the soul, he may be saved.
The second proposition is that he who belongs to the soul and not the body of the Church may be saved.
It has been established that, to belong to the body of the Church, one must be incorporated through Baptism and Profession. Those who belong to the soul of the Church, and not the body, strictly speaking, may be said to be those who would belong to the body if they knew there were a body, where it might be, or how to be incorporated. Though these do not belong to the visible body, they might be said to be in it by implication. They are those who live according to the requirements of Christ in so far as they know them. If they would certainly carry out all the commands of Christ, if they knew them, they could be said to have Baptism of Desire. They could be regarded as having implicit profession of Faith, and having Baptism of Desire, they would, in some sense, even belong to the body of the Church without being aware of it. However that may be, such people certainly belong to the soul of the Church, though they are not visibly and strictly united to the visible body by external communion with her and by outward profession of Faith.
Thus, these sincere and well-disposed persons, since they are spiritually united with the Church of God, belong to the soul of the Church, cannot be dismissed as rank outsiders. Since therefore, they are spiritual members of the Church, they may save their souls. He who belongs to the soul, and not the body of the Church, may be saved.
The third proposition is that he who belongs to the body of the Church and not the soul may not be saved.
It has already been stated who belongs to the body of the Church. This may be expanded by stating, as an instance, that such a person is a Catholic. In the case of a person being baptized in infancy, the sponsors make the profession of Faith. An adult convert, in normal circumstances, does it for himself: and a person being baptized in extraordinary circumstances, and especially in danger of death, may indicate his intention to do so by a variety of signs.
This admission into the body of the Church visibly unites a person to the soul of the Church; but, as indicated in the first of our four propositions, this person may depart from the soul of the Church by conduct contrary to his baptismal vows, such as by the practice of serious evil, which may or may not expose his Faith to public opprobrium, or by the commission of other misdemeanors which render such an individual persona non grata in the eyes of God and the Church. Such members of the body of the Church disunited from the soul of the Church are dead members. So long as they continue perverse, so long as they persist in the practice of their misdemeanors, or refuse to comply with the laws of the Church, or neglect to apply the remedies necessary to restore them to the soul of the Church, so long as they remain spiritually defunct, they may not save their souls, so far as we know. "So far as we know," for it is conceded a dreadful matter that even one soul should be irrevocably lost. No one can say for certain that any soul is lost. Not only is God's mercy infinite, but His ways are incomprehensible.
The fourth proposition is that he who belongs neither to body nor soul of the Church may not be saved.
Sufficient has been stated concerning actual membership in the body and soul of the Church. Taking instances of outsiders corresponding to the terms of this proposition, we might consider so-called atheists who have no wish at all for Baptism and who are definitely inimical to God and His Church.
Another example would be the case of a fallen away Catholic who has lapsed into the practice of Christian Science, and stubbornly adheres to the practice in serious sickness even to the exclusion of a physician and, of course the exclusion of a priest. Such a case came within the experience of the writer some time ago. The pseudo-scientist in question fell into complete unconsciousness at her home as a direct result of refusing medical treatment, or, what is more to the point, the complete unconsciousness was a direct result of the practice of a false religion. Such deliberate and contumacious conduct renders such a person less entitled to conditional absolution than if he or she had become unconscious through the inordinate use of alcoholics or narcotics. The former state of insensibility is induced by public and scandalous confession of a false religion, while the latter state may be the result of a temporary weakness, and not at all public. Incidentally, it may be stated, that the pseudo-scientist remained completely unconscious to the end, and there was absolutely no sign, interpretative or otherwise, of repentance. Moreover, this person, as was revealed after her death, had ordered her body to be cremated; and such was done. Most of these circumstances were known beforehand only within a very limited circle. It is a story which emphasizes how circumspect one must be in imparting absolution, either absolutely or conditionally, especially in public. It prompts Pater Sympatheticus to bear in mind that he is the guardian of the Sacraments as well as the minister.
If the atheists and fallen-away Catholics stubbornly persist in their unreasonable and inimical conduct till death, it does seem that the phrase Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus is justified in their regard. Here arise provocative questions which are left to the discussion of the clergy. Does it certainly follow, that such enemies of God and His Church, who seem to be in such an unenviable position, are damned forever? Can we definitely say, that they are condemned to everlasting torments, when we consider the dying plea of Christ, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do"? Did these words apply to all sinners? Would these people act as they do, if they really knew what they were about? Is not every prayer of Christ answered?
Under the fourth proposition there may come also consideration of the person who, through invincible ignorance, does not belong to the body of the Church, and is not in union with the soul of the Church, for the reason that he does not live a naturally good life according to the innate dictates of the law planted by the Creator in every human creature. Again, can it be categorically stated, that such a person derives no benefit from Christ's first word from the Cross? It is well known, of course, that God gives sufficient grace to every soul to be saved: and that, if a soul is lost, the soul has itself to blame: but, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," coming from the mouth of Christ, is something not to be lightly dismissed. However, whether or not we care to indulge in good-natured argument on this point, it seems to be established, and indeed it must be held as of Faith, that, he who belongs neither to body nor soul of the Church, may not be saved.
Conclusively to these four propositions, it may be gathered that the man who has least likelihood of being saved, is not always the person who has never been incorporated with the Church. It may very well be the Catholic who has abused God's graces and completely rejected them. He has guiltily refused the fullness of something offered to him but withheld from others or given to them only in part. In other words, the good Protestant, or non-Catholic, or pagan, may be more pleasing to God than the renegade or neglectful Catholic.
Since the point of the question concerns those who are outside the Church in some way rather than those who are in, it may be added that no matter how well disposed those outside the Church may be, Christ has not categorically promised them salvation. It does not matter how much argument or discussion may revolve around the matter, or how benignant we may feel towards those outside the Ark of Salvation, we can only say, that these souls are left to God's unpromised mercies. We may be quite sure however that those mercies are superabundant.
A reversion to the preamble of this treatise would help to round off the conclusion with appropriate finality. In the preamble, the phrase Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus was accommodated and posed both as a statement and as a question.
Therefore, to the statement, "There is no salvation outside the Church," I respond in the manner of the schoolmen, Concedo, sed distinguo. And to the question, "Is there any salvation outside the Church?" I answer in the same spirit, Nego, sed Domine, salva nos, perimus.
This item 6212 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
