Jeff Mirus who works for Trinity Communications writes in an e-mail that the ex cathedra dogma does not say everyone needs to be a visible, formal member of the Catholic Church. This is a falsehood by Mirus.
Trinity Communications, VA has also placed a report on the Internet (1) which reports the same lie (2).
In his e-mail to me he indicates that his interpretation of Vatican Council II is the only interpretation of the Catholic Magisterium (3).
He has not provided any text to support his view.
There is another interpretation of Vatican Council II, which is different from his. So to claim that Vatican Council II has one interpretation, which is his, is another falsehood. It’s a lie to claim that his view is the official teaching of the Catholic Magisterium.
The issue needs to be settled by a secular authority.
1. Does the ex cathedra text of extra ecclesiam nulla salus say that everyone needs to be a visible, formal member of the Church with no exceptions? Yes or No.(4)
The text of the ex cathedra dogma Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441 is there in black and white. This issue can be settled in itself without Vatican Council II which came centuries later.
So a Magistrate in England or a Judge in the USA has just to be asked; is Jeff Mirus and Trinity Communications repeating a lie about Catholics and their beliefs? Does the Cantate Domino state everyone on earth needs to be a visible, formal member of the Catholic Church?
We are not asking a religious question but an objective question based on objective text.
The Trinity Communications, VA report on the internet by the late Fr.William Most also has interpretations of Vatican Council II and the Church Fathers. They are his personal interpretations. Other interpretations, contrary to his, can also be provided.
So if Jeff Mirus and Trinity Communications interpret the dogma with one interpretation, it must be acknowledged that this is just one interpretation and not the official and only interpretation of Vatican Council II. The text of Lumen Gentium 16 is neutral and does not refer to an explicit Baptism of desire that we can know of. Neither do we know any particular person in explicit invincible ignorance or having an explicitly good conscience.
Similarly Trinity Communications interpretation of the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 to the Archbishop of Boston Richard Cushing is a personal view. The Vatican has not issued any document approving Trinity Communication and Fr. Most’s interpretation of the Letter.
Another interpretation of the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 would be that: the first half of the Letter, which refers to doctrine, affirms and supports Fr. Leonard Feeney. The second half, which refers to discipline and disobedience, criticizes Fr.Feeney and St. Benedict Centre for their disobedience to the Archbishop of Boston.
Over time it was discovered that Archbishop Cushing denied that everybody needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church (Cantate Domino).He also suggested that there was an explicit Baptism of desire. This is heresy. It is contrary to the ex cathedra dogma Cantate Domino. It was a new doctrine. He also did not deny reports in the Boston newspapers which stated that the Church has changed it centuries old teaching. He would contradict Ad Gentes 7, Dominus Iesus 20 the CDF Notification of Fr. Dupuis. He would also help begin the misinterpretation of Lumen Gentium 16 (explicit invincible ignorance).
Summary
1. The Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441 is an ex cathedra dogma and supersedes other Church Documents and it’s for all time. It says everyone needs to be a visible member of the Catholic Church. (This is affirmed in Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II and Dominus Iesus).
The report placed by Trinity Communications on the Internet is falsehood.
Jeff Mirus who works for Trinity Communications is part of the lie in his e-mail to me and reports on Catholic Culture (CatholicCulture.org)
Trinity Communications report on the Internet does not reflect catholic teaching but a political/ideological position.
Lionel Andrades
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1.
TRAGIC ERRORS OF LEONARD FEENEY by Fr. William Most
In the late 1940s Leonard Feeney, S. J. began to teach that there is no salvation outside the Church. He was correct in saying that there were official teachings, even definitions, on that score. But his tragic error came when he adopted Protestant method, thinking that in that way he would be one of the only true Catholics! We spoke of his protestant method with good reason. First, he was excommunicated for disobedience, refusing to go to Rome to explain his position. Then the Holy Office, under Pius XII, sent a letter to the Archbishop of Boston, condemning Feeney's error. (It is known that Pius XII personally checked the English text of that letter). In the very first paragraph pointed out what is obvious: we must avoid private interpretation of Scripture -- for that is strictly Protestant. But then the letter said we must also avoid private interpretation of the official texts of the Church. To insist on our own private interpretation, especially when the Church contradicts that, is pure Protestant attitude.
What the disobedient Feeney said amounted to this: he insisted that all who did not formally enter the Church would go to hell. Hence he had to say, and he did say, that unbaptized babies go to hell.
Further, all adults who did not formally enter the Church - get their names on a parish register - would also go to hell, even if they never had a chance to hear there was a Church, e.g., those in the western hemisphere during the long centuries before Columbus.
Therefore Feeney consigned literally millions upon millions to hell, even though He gave them no chance....
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2.
What the disobedient Feeney said amounted to this: he insisted that all who did not formally enter the Church would go to hell. Hence he had to say, and he did say, that unbaptized babies go to hell.Further, all adults who did not formally enter the Church - get their names on a parish register - would also go to hell, even if they never had a chance to hear there was a Church, e.g., those in the western hemisphere during the long centuries before Columbus.
Therefore Feeney consigned literally millions upon millions to hell, even though He gave them no chance.-Tragic Errors of Fr.Leonard Feeney
3.
His e mail says:
Lionel: Even those of us who support Fr. Leonard Feeney agree there is a possibility of non Catholics being saved ‘in certain circumstances’(Letter of the Holy Office 1949).This is not in conflict with the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus . The dogma says everyone needs to be an explicit, visible member of the Catholic Church to go to Heaven and avoid Hell and there are no exceptions. So everyone needs to be a formal member of the Church to avoid Hell, the infallible teaching says, and, we know if there is anyone with invincible ignorance, the baptism of desire or blood or a good conscience it will be known only to God.
Lionel,No, sorry, this is not what the dogma says or means, as many teachings of the Magisterium make clear.
Jeff MirusTrinity Communications~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jeffrey A. Mirus, Ph.D.,Trinity Communications, Trinity Consulting,Fax 703-636-7654, jmirus@trincomm.org
4.
1. “There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved.” (Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215). Ex cathedra.
2.“We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” (Pope Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302.).Ex cathedra.
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/
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From the website of Catholic Culture
Dr. Jeffrey A. Mirus
President, Trinity Communications
Dr. Jeffrey A. Mirus has been a leader in Catholic education and the dissemination of Catholic information for over 30 years. He has co-founded a Catholic college, authored and published numerous scholarly books, pioneered Catholic Internet services, founded a non-profit corporation to advance the Catholic Faith through education and the media, and established a for-profit communications consulting enterprise.
In addition to his apostolic and career accomplishments, Dr. Mirus is the father of six children. He and his wife Barbara currently reside in Northern Virginia.
Mr. Peter V. Mirus
CEO, Trinity Consulting
Mr. Mirus has served as director of design and/or application development for many key Catholic projects since 1993, including this website and several related Trinity Communications projects. Other projects of note include the inaugural official websites for EWTN (1996), the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus (2000-03), and the March for Life (2007). He has also directed or self-performed work for a variety of other Catholic and like-minded organizations.
He also directs Trinity Consulting, Inc., where he serves as Chief Executive Officer. Trinity Consulting is a tech-savvy marketing and business development consulting firm serving small to medium-sized business in the Washington DC metropolitan area and across the United States.
Peter has written nearly 40 articles on living the Catholic Faith (and related subjects), all of which are available on this website. He resides in Manassas, Virginia with his wife Kristina and their two daughters.
Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org History
Ancient History: 1985-1992
Trinity Communications' first project was to publish and distribute Catholic books, videos, audio tapes and periodicals. It opened as a mail-order publisher and bookseller in 1985, and began to publish periodicals in 1990, which resulted in a considerable over-extension and some significant soul-searching.
Medieval History: 1992-1994
In 1992, Trinity began to explore the possibility of moving its work to advance the Catholic faith to the online world, where the company quickly became a pioneer. Since 1993, Trinity Communications has reached millions of Catholics through online publication. The organization founded The Catholic Resource Network, the first, largest, and most faithful Catholic Bulletin Board System (pre-Internet).
Early Modern History: 1995-2003
In 1995, in the second year of the exitence of the World Wide Web, Trinity Communications merged The Catholic Resource Network into EWTN and developed a major web site for EWTN. Then, in 1996, Trinity Communications founded its own website PetersNet.net, which became its primary focus moving forward as an apostolic entity.
Modern History: 2003-present
In late 2003, the hugely popular PetersNet.net was relaunched under the CatholicCulture.org name, with a broader list of provided services.
In 2006, Trinity Communications acquired the Catholic World News (CWNews.com) website, solidifying a 10-year development relationship. Catholic World News was the Internet's first, most independent and reliable online Catholic news source. Trinity retained the site's editorial leadership, Phil Lawler to carry forward the mission of the site. The Catholic World News content has now been migrated into the Catholic Culture website.
Over the past several years, CatholicCulture.org has focused increasingly on the problem of forming an authentically Catholic culture. Incisive and balanced Catholic news and commentary have become the hallmark of the site, with the goal of presenting a thorough understanding of Catholic faith and thought in its application to transforming the world.
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