Sanctifying grace and salvation out of the Church

[Seeker]

I am truly a novice in Catholic theology.  I was wondering if anyone can help me understand a couple things about Catholic theology.  Specifically about teachings regarding the doctrine called "extra ecclesia nulla salva" (or something along those lines) and its relationship to sanctifying grace.

There is a doctrine that states that no one can obtain salvation outside the Catholic Church.  Yet it has also been stated by Catholic theologians that those ignorant of the truth through no fault of their own, are not culpable in God's eyes.

I understand sanctifying grace as the state of justification through which one gains eternal life.  If one commits mortal sin, it slays our soul and sanctifying grace within us.  We become enemies of God and are condemned to hell if we die in this state.

Can anyone shed light on how sanctifying grace is related to the doctrine that there is "no salvation outside the Church?"  It seems to me that for the Church to state that there is no salvation outside of it, that either those outside the Church cannot gain sanctifying grace without the Church, or that one loses sanctifying grace by remaining outside the Church.

One receives initial justification and sanctifying grace through valid baptism.  The Catholic Church recognizes baptisms performed with water and the Trinitarian formula with the same intent to baptise into Christ.  If one loses sanctifying grace by committing mortal sin, then how are we to understand that there is no salvation outside the Church for a person who is ignorant of Catholic beliefs and cannot commit mortal sin unless they have "full knowledge."?  Is such a person saved or are they condemned because they remain outside the Church?  

How does this fit in with infallible Ecumenical Councils that declared that there is "no salvation outside the Church" and does the Catholic Church interpret this phrase differently than it did in the past?

[Rev. Eric]

Hello One and All,

It is hard to believe that it has been about a month since I lasted posted in the Glorify God Community, but time goes by quickly in parish ministry.

Seeker, your post is a good example of how the Church can grow in its understanding of doctrine.  Here is my understanding of the neccesity of the Church for salvation.

First of all, the Church officially teaches that God, in His love and mercy, gives each and every human sufficient grace for salvation.  This does not mean that every human is automatically going to heaven.  Consider the following:

...it is the Church's universal teaching that everyone receives sufficient grace for salvation. The key word is "sufficient," as distinct from efficacious grace. God wants everyone to reach heaven. In sheer justice, therefore, He provides adequate grace for everyone, as light for the mind and strength for the will, to reach their heavenly destiny. Why, then, can we not say that everyone will actually be saved? It cannot be because God is wanting in His generosity to provide sufficient grace for salvation. It can only be because some people do not cooperate with graces they receive. Grace is a gift of God, offered to our minds to accept and to our wills to cooperate with. Those who cooperate with the grace of God will be saved.

- Fr. John A. Harden, S.J., Ask Fr. Harden: Sufficient Grace?; available from http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Fa.../articl11.html; internet; accessed 22 November 2004.

Therefore, it is possible (for example) for a man living in the Amazon jungle to be saved, even though he may lack specific knowledge of Christianity.

But the Church also teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Church (CCC #846).  So does this contradict what I just said about the Amazon native?  Initially it may appear so, but not if we take a closer look at what it means to be "inside the Church":

1)  Jesus established a church here on earth to be a vehicle of salvation for all people of all generations.  We can call this the "Church of Christ" (and here I am not referring to any specific denomination, but rather I am using the same term Lumen Gentium uses when speaking of the universal Church founded by Christ).  The Church of Christ is a channel of grace and a vehicle of salvation because its head is Christ, and through His merits we are saved.  Furthermore, this mission and purpose of the Church is for all of humanity:

The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church, the community of faith, hope and charity, as a visible organization through which he communicates truth and grace to all men.
- Lumen Gentium, Chapter 1, Section 8

2)  The fullness of this Church of Christ "subsists" in the Catholic Church:

This is the sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Savior, after his resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care (Jn. 21:17), commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it (cf. Matt. 28:18, etc.), and which he raised up for all ages as "the pillar and mainstay of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him.
- Lumen Gentium, Chapter 1, Section 8

What "subsists" means here is that the Catholic Church has the fullness of what God has revealed to humanity.  For example, in the Catholic Church you find all seven sacraments.  In the Catholic Church you find the Bible, Sacred Tradition and Magesterial Teaching.

3)  But does this mean that everyone has to be a registered Catholic to be saved?  No, because we can see that elements of salvation can be found outside of the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church:

Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines.
- Lumen Gentium, Chapter 1, Section 8

For example, a particular Protestant may not accept six of the seven sacraments, but he still has baptism in his church.  He may not accept Sacred Tradition, and he will certainly not accept Magesterial Teaching, but he still has the Bible.  Plus, we can readily see the Holy Spirit working powerfully in the lives of both Catholics and non-Catholics.  Therefore, although the fullness of the Church of Christ subsists within the Catholic Church, it spreads beyond her visible boundaries.

4)  Going back to the example of the Amazon native, even though he is not a Christian and therefore lacks many of the aspects of Christianity (such as the Bible), he still has a conscience and is still aware of the importance of virtuous living.  If he honestly strives to do good and avoid evil, then he is participating in the will of God.  For him (as well as for anyone) to do this, he receives what is called "actual grace" from God.  In other words, none of us can do anything good on our own; God must first empower us.  Actual grace helps us to recognize good things, nudges us to choose them and then empowers us to do them.

5)  Actual grace allows us to participate in the will of God.  When we participate in His will, He allows us to share in His divine life, which is the most basic definition of sanctifying grace.  Sharing in God's divine life, of course, involves being joined with Christ.  Christ is the head of His Church, so being joined with Christ means that one is also joined with the Church of Christ.

6)  In light of all this, a person can be mystically joined to the Church of Christ without being what we normally consider a Christian.  Although he has not received baptism in the normal Christian manner, he may still receive "baptism by desire":

Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery. Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1260

Even though a person may not enter into the fullness of the Church of Christ, he may still be within it, at least to some degree.  As we all know, God bends over backwards to help us participate in the salvation He provides, so it appears that even a small, indirect, mystical participation in His Church is enough to still be considered inside it for the purposes of salvation.  Plus, we could say that the graces he receives from Christ are channeled to him through His Church.

Having said all this, I do not want people to read this and give up the idea of missionary activity and spreading the gospel.  All Christians still have a duty according to the Great Commission that Jesus gave us.  We are to go out and teach and baptize all nations.  We are to spread the Good News of salvation and be witnesses of the Kingdom of God.  We are to help people know the Truth, and the Truth is Jesus Christ.  Just because all people are given sufficient grace for their salvation, we cannot neglect our duty, because we want all people to come into the fullness of the Church of Christ.  God gave all of humanity such things as the seven sacraments, the Bible, Sacred Tradition and Magesterial Teaching because we need them and they allow God to work powerfully in our lives.  Even though a person may be able to live on bread and water, we want him to partake of the wonderful richness of God's banquet table.  

God bless,
-Rev. Eric

[Seeker]

Thanks for the thorough reply Rev Eric!  That helps.  It's great to see you posting again despite your busy schedule.