"Outside the Church there is no salvation." False ecumenism attacks the dogma!

Jesus gave us the roadmap to happiness. Love God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. That's the highway to heaven? And once we get to the finish line Peter and his successors hold the keys to heaven's gates.

The Church tells us, "Extra ecclesiam nulla salus," Outside the Church there is no salvation. But what exactly does that mean? Can only baptized Catholics go to heaven? 

In his chapter on ecumenism in Open Letter to Confused Catholics, Archbishop Lefebvre explains how false ecumenism undermines Catholic dogma by promoting religious indifferentism. It's important to understand the difference between a false ecumenism that explicitly or implicitly promotes the concept that all religions are equal vs. true ecumenism which involves separated brothers and sisters working together for a mutually agreed on goal without pretending that all religions are equal and lead to heaven.

We've seen the work of true ecumenism at U.N. meetings when Catholics and other denominations join together to fight abortion and the false language of "reproductive rights." We see it in the pro-life movement when people of all faiths fight for the little ones in the womb. 

When I was in prison during the Spring of Life in Buffalo in 1992, I had a long talk with an atheist who was among the two hundred incarcerated women. She was an example of a woman of good will who knew the truth that all human life is worthy of protection. That is true ecumenism. Life Chain draws many churches together to stand side by side in defense of life. But we never pretend to be one in faith. 

Here's what Archbishop Lefebvre says:

Ecumenism in the strict sense, i.e. as practised among Christians, has motivated joint Eucharistic celebrations with Protestants, such as at Strasbourg. The Anglicans were invited to Chartres Cathedral to celbrate "Eucharistic Communion". The only celebration which is not allowed, either at Chartres, or at Strasbourg, or at Marseilles, is that of Holy Mass according to the rite codified by Saint Pius V. 

These examples illustrate false ecumenism and its scandals. Jesus prayed that we all might be one at the Last Supper, but not through a fake unity. The Archbishop goes on:

What conclusion can be drawn from all this by a Catholic who sees Church authorities condoning such scandalous ceremonies? If all religions are equal value, he could very well work out his salvation with Buddhists or Protestants. He is running the risk of losing faith in the true Church. This in fact is what is suggested to him. They want to submit the Church to natural law; they want to put it on the same footing with other religions. They refuse to say - even priests, seminarists and seminary professors - that the Catholic Church is the only Church, that she possesses the truth, that she alone is able to lead men to salvation through Jesus Christ. "The Church is only a spiritual leaven within society, but the same as other religions; a bit more that the others, perhaps ..." They sometimes grant it a slight superiority, if you press them. 

If this is the case, then the Church is merely useful; she is no longer indispensible. She is only one of the means of salvation. 

We must say it clearly: such a concept is radically opposed to Catholic dogma. The Church is the one ark of salvation, and we must not be afraid to affirm it. You have often heard it said, "Outside the Church there is no salvation" - a dictum which offends contemporary minds. It is easy to believe that this doctrine is no longer in effect, that it has been dropped. It seems excessively severe. 

Yet nothing, in fact, has changed; nothing can be changed in this area. Our Lord did not found a number of churches: He founded only One. There is only one Cross by which we can be saved, and that Cross has been given to the Catholic Church. It has not been given to others. To His Church, His mystical bride, Christ has given all graces. No grace in the world, no grace in the history of humanity is distributed except through her. 

And now the Archbishop explains the dogma:

Does that mean that no Protestant, no Muslim, no Buddhist or animist will be saved? No, it would be a second error to think that. Those who cry for intolerance in interpreting St. Cyprian's formula, "Outside the Church there is no salvation," also reject the Creed, "I confess one baptism for the remission of sins", and are insufficiently instructed as to what baptism is. There are three ways of receiving it: the baptism of water; the baptism of blood (that of the martyrs who confessed their faith while still catechumens) and baptism of desire. 

Baptism of desire can be explicit. Many times in Africa I heard one of our catechumens say to me, "Father, baptise me straightaway because if I die before you come again, I shall go to hell". I told him, "No, if you have no mortal sin on your conscience and if you desire baptism, then you already have the grace in you". 

The doctrine of the Church also recognises implicit baptism of desire. This consists in doing the will of God. God knows all men and He knows that amongst Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists and in the whole of humanity there are men of good will. They receive the grace of baptism without knowing it, but in an effective way. In this way they become part of the Church. 

The error consists in thinking that they are saved by their religion. They are saved in their religion but not by it. There is no Buddhist church in heaven, no Protestant church. This is perhaps hard to accept, but it is the truth. I did not found the Church, but rather Our Lord the Son of God. As priests we must state the truth.

False ecumenism threatens missionary work as well. Why bother if the Catholic faith is unimportant and no one truly needs it? 

But at the cost of what difficulties do people in those countries where Christianity has not penetrated come to receive baptism by desire! Error is an obstacle to the Holv Ghost. This explains why the Church has always sent missionaries into all countries of the world, why thousands of them have suffered martyrdom. If salvation can be found in any religion, why cross the seas, why subject oneself to unhealthy climates, to a harsh life, to sickness and an early death? From the martyrdom of St. Stephen onwards (t 1 e first to give his life for Christ, and for this reason his feast is the day after Christmas), the Apostles set out to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean countries. Would they have done this if one could be saved by worshipping Cybele or by the mysteries of Eleusis? Why did Our Lord say to them, "Go and preach the Gospel to all nations"?

It's true and a doctrine that "Outside the Church there is no salvation." Which is why it's essential for us to share the faith when we have the opportunity. Everyone has free will and we can't force the will of others, but God gave us free will so we could come to the truth. There are many falling into hell like snowflakes as Jacinta described the vision of hell Mary revealed at Fatima. Those are the "poor sinners" misusing their free will to rebel against God. Jacinta's short life was to be a victim soul to save poor sinners from the fires of hell. What a courageous path it would be to follow that little mystic in her vocation of love.