Expert: Sister Laurel M. O`Neal - 6/21/2004

Question
What does the Catholic Church believe about the salvation of Protestant, non-Catholic Christians who claim to be "born again"?  Is it the Catholic Church's official belief that only Catholics will go to Heaven and all other religions are destined for Hell?


Answer
Dear Joe,
   no. The Catholic Church believes nothing remotely like what you have described. In the documents of Vatican II in particular (cf Unitatis Redintegratio) the Church is very clear that mainline Protestant Churches have some of the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures and "what is necessary for salvation". She is also clear that out of these ecclesial communities have come martyrs and Saints who no doubt share in Communion with God. The Church's position on non-Christians is somewhat similar. She recognizes that God reveals himself definitively in the Christ Event so in Christ is the fullness of God's revelation of self, and this is normative for any more partial revelations claiming the title. However, God is present in the Word/Logos prior to Christ and in his creation even apart from that event. If someone recognizes objective values, for instance (honesty, integrity, truth, beauty, goodness, etc) then they too have recognized a partial revelation of God. If they commit themselves to being genuinely human beings embracing these and other objective values, and if they honestly search for and turn to God wherever he is present, they too can be saved. Salvation always happens through Christ, but one does not need to know Christ explicitly to share in this.

         Christians are fortunate enough to share in the fullness of God's self-revelation in Christ and we should always rejoice that  we do. Our lives are marked by a peculiar joy and peace many do not know. However, this does not mean that God is not present to others, nor that he is unrecognized or unembraced by them. God's will to salvation is universal, and so is his presence. Rather than thinking of salvation as reserved for Christians alone, we should understand that there are ordinary ways and extraordinary ways to be saved. For instance, long before Vatican II, the Church recognized that it was encumbent upon her to preach the Gospel to all the nations. However, it soon became clear to her that men who had not heard the Gospel effectively preached could not be penalized for the limitations of God's Church or the failure of her mission. The Church developed a theology of baptism by desire, because she recognized that God was not limited by this failure either. So, while we recognize God is present and revealed in innumerable ways, some more complete or less partial than others, and in the Christ, definitively revealed, and while we recognize some of us are fortunate enough to call God Father in a way only the Christian can, we also recognize that eternal life with God is open to all persons who seek and respond to God however and wherever they can.

      Hope this helps. I do recommend you read Unitatis Redintegratio. It is available online. Meanwhile, if this raises more questions, or requires clarification, please get back to me.

Sincerely,
Sister Laurel