Fr. John Flynn answers questions in the Sydney Archdiocese’s Internet Xt3 Forum's Ask a Priest. He has not answered if it is a mortal sin to reject an ex cathedra dogma but agrees that one cannot know of any case of the baptism of desire, when God gives this grace to someone.
He was commenting on the report on Fr. John George, also from the same diocese, claiming that we personally can know cases of the baptism of desire and so do know them.
So does this mean that everyone with no exception needs to enter the Church to be saved since, we do not personally know any case of the baptism of desire and invincible ignorance and only Jesus can judge?
Fr.John Flynn cannot answer yes.
Since he observes that Dominus Iesus 20 says everyone needs to enter the Church while Dominus Iesus 21 suggests there are people who could not be members of the church who can also be saved.He sees a contradictory teaching in Church documents on this issue.
Is there a contradiction?
No.
The de fide teaching is that everyone with no exception needs to enter the Church to avoid Hell and go to Heaven. De facto there are no exceptions and everyone must be a formal member of Jesus’ Mystical Body (Cantate Domino, ex cathedra, Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II etc).
De jure (in principle) there could be people saved who are not formal members of the Church. This would be known only to God. We do not know any case.
De facto and de jure are terms used by the Church in the Introduction of Dominus Iesus.
So there is no contradiction.
The Church still teaches ,as it is did, for centuries that ‘all people’ need ‘Catholic Faith and the baptism of water’ (Ad Gentes 7,Vatican Council II) to be saved from Hell.
This is an ex cathedra, infallible teaching which Fr. John George denies on the internet forum True Catholic.
To deny an infallible teaching is a mortal sin. A priest in public mortal sin is not to offer Mass, according to Canon Law, until he has removed the scandal publically and received absolution in Confession.
Cardinal George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, Australia has been informed .Also Fr. John Usher, the Chancellor knows about this ‘public case’.
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http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2010/10/frjohn-flynn-sydney-archdiocese-says-we.html
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2010/10/frjohn-flynn-sydney-archdiocese-says-we.html
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