The Italian version states that the phrase extra ecclesiam nulla salus means it is obligatory for the faithful who want to guard their salvation in eternity, to remain in the way of the Christian Church.
Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus è una celebre frase latina, attribuita impropriamente a San Cipriano. La sua traduzione è "Al di fuori della Chiesa non vi è salvezza".
Conosciuta anche come Nulla salus extra ecclesiam, la frase definisce la necessità del fedele che voglia guadagnare la salvezza nella vita eterna, di restare in seno alla Chiesa cristiana.
There is confusion here since one of the three ex cathedra teachings on extra ecclesiam nulla salus says that all heretics and schismatics need to enter the Catholic Church to avoid Hell. The heretics and schismatics would include Protestants and the Orthodox Christians.
3.“The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church.” - (Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441.) Ex Cathedra – from the website Catholicism.org and “No Salvation outside the Church”: Link List, the Three Dogmatic Statements Regarding EENS: http://nosalvationoutsideofthecatholicchurch.blogspot.com/
The familiar ambiguity continues. The Wikipedia Italian version says everybody needs to enter the Catholic Church for salvation through Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water. Yet it is also said in the same paragraph that those who know this truth and yet do not enter cannot be saved which could imply that only those are oriented to Hell fires who know this truth and do not enter the Catholic Church.
Yet the ex cathedra teaching above says everybody needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church.
When we affirm that every one needs to enter the Catholic Church we do not deny that there could be persons in invincible ignorance or with the baptism of desire who are known only to God and who can be saved.
Sul lato soggettivo invece, sul campo delle biografie religiose e della vita cristiana ed umana, c'è la possibilità di "perdizione" in mezzo alla Chiesa nonché di salvezza fuori. Nondimeno, nella misura in cui qualcuno ha riconosciuto Cristo da mediatore universale della salute, egli è obbligato ad ubbidire alla propria coscienza anche nelle sue relazioni alla Chiesa; altrimenti si escluderebbe per propria decisione dalla salvezza.
The Council of Trent is quoted which says that those who do not want to perish in the flood need to enter the Ark.(Article 114, Council of Trent).This has been omitted in the English version of Wikipedia on extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
The Italian version quotes the Syllabus of Errors of Pope Pius IX (Dec.8,1854).
Proposition XVI condemns the negation of the dogma Extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Proposition XVII condemns any reduction or change of the same dogma.
Proposition XVIII condemns any negation of this dogma in relation with Protestantism.
Wikipedia in Italian then cites the Catechism of Pope Pius X (1905) which reaffirms the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus in artiche 169, 171 and 172.
It emphasizes that article 169 repeats the message of the Catechism of the Council of Trent when it says outside the Apostolic Roman, Catholic Church, no one can be saved just as no one could be saved in the flood outside the Ark of Noah which pre figures the Church.
Neither the English or Italian version mention that extra ecclesiam nulla salus is an ex cathedra dogma. The dogma clearly states that everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church to avoid Hell.
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