Secondly that the baptism of desire, invincible ignorance etc are cases that we can judge. This would be an ‘explicit-implicit baptism of desire’ or an ‘explicit baptism of desire’.
Specifically it suggests that Lumen Gentium 16 refers to explicit–implicit invincible ignorance, baptism of desire etc.
It indicates that the popes when they were referring to implicit grace (those saved in invinci9ble ignorance etc) it was not ‘in certain circumstances’ and known only to God. It was, the book indicates, the ordinary means of salvation for non Catholics.
There is also a factual error. Fr.Leonard Feeney was not excommunicated for saying everyone needs to be a visible member of the Church.
There is no Church Document to support this claim. This claim is not made in the Letter of the Holy Office published in the Denzinger Enchiridion(DE). The book however indicates that he was excommunicated for heresy and quotes the DE entry.
Even the Letter in the Denzinger entry has technical shortcomings (it had never been published in the Acta Apostolica Sedis. The Denzinger entry was made based on a report in the Ecclesiastical Review!!!There was no signature of the Vatican Prefect or of anybody on it when it was sent to Fr. Leonard Feeney). The Letter really supported Fr.Feeney. It’s the secular media propaganda which claims otherwise as does the book.
The first part of the Letter referred to doctrine and the second part to discipline.
The Letter referred to the dogma as the ‘nfallible’teaching. The dogma indicates all Jews in Boston need to convert to avoid Hell. This was the exact teaching of Fr.Leonard Feeney.
The dogma does not refer to any explicit or implicit baptism of desire. Fr. Feeney rejected any explicit baptism of desire that we can know of.
Neither does the dogma say that only those who know about the Church need to enter to avoid Hell (Ad Gentes 7) as the book repeats.
So the book’s interpretation of Lumen Gentium 16, Vatican Council II is a personal interpretation, a new doctrine and not part of the Deposit of the Faith.
Also how could he be excommunicated for repeating the same message as the ex cathedra dogma and that of popes(ordinary magisterium) and the saints?
1. The book subtly questions the dogma on the infallibility of the popes ex cathedra and that
2) An ex cathedra dogma can be superseded by any ordinary magisterium’s decision allegedly contradicting the infallible teaching.
Fr. John Lawrence the Rector of the Church where the books is distributed in Rome says that the dogma does not say that one has to be a visible member of the Church. Even after being shown the text he claims the dogma does not say everyone needs Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water. It does not say that non Catholics need to convert with no exception according to him.
Fr. John says that doctrines develop and that now moral theologians have given us a new understanding of extra ecclesiam nulla salus. We now know that those who are in invincible ignorance etc do not have to convert.
He is sure that we can know cases of implicit baptism of desire and that implicit baptism of desire can be explicit and known to us as in the case of catechumens.
He maintains that all Jews in the world with no exception need to convert and that the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus does not change in a ‘contextual situation’ as claimed by an Italian OMI priest at a church nearby.
He also calls this issue a mystery.
He said that the extra ecclesiam nulla salus issue may be political but his views were not based on politics and neither was he influenced by the leftist media or education institutions.
Muslims and other non Catholics are not on the path to Hell he said and that we just do not know about them. They might be saved .Also he was sure that everyone who is in Heaven was not a Catholic. Only Catholics do not go to Heaven according to him.
Fr.John Lawrence is an American priest who was ordained some two years back in Rome.
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