Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

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The Latin phrase Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus (often abbreviated EENS), literally meaning "outside the church there is no salvation", is used to describe the Catholic doctrine that the Catholic church is the "barque of Peter" or vehicle of salvation.

Table of contents

1 Interpretations (in order of decreasing strictness) 2 Beliefs by Group 2.1 Catholic Laity 2.2 Catholic Theologians 2.3 Popes 2.4 Others 2.5 External links

Interpretations (in order of decreasing strictness)

• Full membership within the Catholic church before death is necessary for salvation.
  • The above interpretation implies that all non-Catholics go to Hell, as do all Catholics who deny that all non-Catholics go to Hell, because denying that all non-Catholics went to Hell would be heretical.
• Since one enters the Church of Christ through baptism, one must be baptized before judgment to be considered for salvation.
  • This interpretation would include all baptized Christians, both Catholic and non-Catholic, but would exclude all non-Christians.
• The Church includes some that don't claim membership, therefore the above interpretations are too strict.
• The Church must exist for those of "good will" to be able to get to Heaven. The phrase is therefore best interpreted as "without the church there is no salvation".

Beliefs by Group

Catholic Laity

It is impossible to say how many Catholics accept the various interpretations of EENS, or even how many Catholics know about EENS until someone conducts a poll on the matter. Certainly some, falling into two groups, do believe only Catholics can enter Heaven. One group is uninstructed in EENS, but has come to the conclusion for various reasons: for instance, the fact that all the canonized Saints have been Catholic could create such an impression. Converts are frequently in this group, which can explain their motivation for converting; why convert if it isn't necessary? The other group knows about EENS and has made a judgement on the strict side. They may or may not call themselves traditional, depending on their views on other issues. See Catholic traditionalists.

Catholic Theologians

Most modern Catholic theologians interpret the phrase as meaning that the Catholic church is God's chosen vehicle of salvation for those of "good will", regardless of religious beliefs. In order to allow non-Catholics the use of the church as the vehicle of salvation, there are serveral mechanisms offered whereby non-members become pseudo-baptised members.

• Baptism of blood
  • Baptism of blood is a baptism of desire received through martyrdom. Like baptism with water, it leaves an indelible mark on the soul, hence the reference.
• Baptism of desire
  • In this mechanism for salvation a person who is unable to know the church because of a lack of missionaries (see ignorant native) but possessing an unspoken desire for harmony with God effects, through his desire, the grace of baptism without the form.

These are taught by the Fathers of the Church, as well as by the Church herself. For instance, the Council of Trent taught baptism of desire. Several hundred years earlier, Pope Innocent III, who wrote one of the three major papal statements used by adherents of the strict view of the Extra Ecclesiam doctrine (see below), also taught baptism of desire. He wrote the following, in which someone with the desire for baptism is saved, without having received the actual sacrament: "A certain Jew, when at the point of death, since he lived only among Jews, immersed himself in water, while saying I baptize myself in the name of the Father, and the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. We respond that since there should be a distinction between the one baptizing and the one baptized, as clearly gathered from the words of the Lord when said "Go baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The Jew must be baptized again by another. If however such a one had died immediately he would have rushed to his heavenly home without delay because of the faith of the sacrament although not because of the sacrament of faith." (Denzinger 413) There are various theories about how sin could be handled in a situation like this, one way would be a perfect act of contrition, another would be perfect life.

Popes

The debate often calls on these allegedly infallible but admittedly clear and insistent statements by three popes:

Pope Innocent III, A.D. 1198-1216: "One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved." (IV Lateran Council, A.D. 1215) [But see "Baptism of Desire" above]

Pope Boniface VIII, A.D. 1294-1303: "We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is wholly necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. The Lateran, November 14th, in our eighth year. As a perpetual memorial of this matter." (Unam Sanctam, A.D. 1302)

Pope Eugene IV, A.D. 1431-1447: "It [the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church] firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that none of those outside the Catholic Church, not only paganss, but neither Jews, or heretics and schismatics, can become participants in eternal life, but will depart "into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels" Matt. 25:41], unless before the end of life they have been added to the Church; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those abiding in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that no one, whatever almsgiving he has practised, even if he has shed [his] blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has abided in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church." (Council of Florence, A.D. 1442)

Others

• The most prominent modern advocate of a rigorous interpretation of these statements was a Boston Jesuit called Leonard Feeney. His followers are known as Feeneyites.
• The most prominent group of Catholic traditionalistss, those belonging to the Society of Saint Pius X, reject the strictest interpretation of EENS.

See also:

• Ex Cathedra
• Father Leonard Feeney

External links

• An Examination of the 3 De Fide Decrees on 'No Salvation Outside the Church'
• Can There Be Salvation For Non-Catholics?
• The Case Against Father Feeney and for Baptism of Blood and Desire
• www.catholicism.org -- Site for supporters of Father Leonard Feeney
• "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus: Father Feeney Makes A Comeback" -- Essay arguing for a less rigorous interpretation of the papal definitions