APPEAL TO THE THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER: FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND EXPRESSION

I appeal to the St. Thomas More Law Center, USA to please assist me, in being able to practise my Catholic Faith in public.

(THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER,24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive,P.O. Box 393,Ann Arbor, MI 48106,Telephone: (734) 827-2001,Facsimile: (734) 930-7160,E-mail: info@thomasmore.org )

I have received a legal threat for holding a centuries-old Catholic teaching supported by Vatican Council II (Ad Gentes 7),Dominus Iesus (20) and the ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus, Cantate Domino, Council of Florence.

This is my personal belief according to the official teaching of the Church.

In none of these blog-posts have I claimed that any particular person holds these beliefs. Instead I have mentioned with concern that Catholics deny it.

Here is the Catholic teaching that they want me to give up.

According to Vatican Council II the Prophet was not saved. This is same the message of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus, Dominus Iesus and other Church documents based on the Bible, Tradition and the Magisterium. So according to the official teaching of the Catholic Church the prophet was oriented to Inferno at the time of death.

According to Vatican Council II, Ad Gentes 7 all people need Catholic Faith and the baptism of water for salvation. This includes the Prophet.

Therefore, all must be converted to Him, made known by the Church's preaching, and all must be incorporated into Him by baptism and into the Church which is His body. For Christ Himself "by stressing in express language the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5), at the same time confirmed the necessity of the Church, into which men enter by baptism, as by a door.-AG 7

Ad Gentes 7 and Lumen Gentium 14 also state that those who know about the Church and its necessity for salvation and yet do not enter are on the way to Hell. The Quran shows that the prophet knew about Jesus and the Church.

Therefore those men cannot be saved, who though aware that God, through Jesus Christ founded the Church as something necessary, still do not wish to enter into it, or to persevere in it."-Ad Gentes 7

Therefore those men cannot be saved, who though aware that God, through Jesus Christ founded the Church as something necessary, still do not wish to enter into it, or to persevere in it."-Lumen Gentium 14, Vatican Council II.

The ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus says the same.

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

The same message is repeated in Dominus Iesus.

This doctrine must not be set against the universal salvific will of God (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); “it is necessary to keep these two truths together, namely, the real possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind and the necessity of the Church for this salvation”.-Dominus Iesus 20

If there is an objection with reference to Lumen Gentium 16 it is a straw man. LG 16 does not say that we know any case of invincible ignorance in the present times.

Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.-Lumen Gentium 16, Vatican Council II.

So Lumen Gentium 16 does not contradict extra ecclesiam nulla salus or Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II.

If there is an objection that Fr. Leonard Feeney was excommunicated for affirming extra ecclesiam nulla salus, this is a falsehood. The dogma referred to in the Letter of the Holy Office to the Archbishop of Boston 1949 indicates that all Jews in Boston need to convert into the Church to avoid Hell.

Now, among those things which the Church has always preached and will never cease to preach is contained also that infallible statement by which we are taught that there is no salvation outside the Church.

However, this dogma must be understood in that sense in which the Church herself understands it. For, it was not to private judgments that Our Savior gave for explanation those things that are contained in the deposit of faith, but to the teaching authority of the Church…-Letter of the Holy Office 1949 to the Archbishop of Boston (Emphasis added)

So according to the official teaching of the Catholic Church the prophet was oriented to Hell at the time of death. It is said that the Church does not say that any one is in Hell, not even Judas. However the Church does teach that there are some sins that orient a person to Hell at the time of death. It is a grave sin for a non Catholic to have had the Gospel preached to him, to know about Jesus and the Church and yet to reject the Holy Spirit guiding him in his heart. The Church also teaches that all of us know what is right and wrong deep within our heart Conscience can be good or bad. We need to follow our good conscience. Someone who follows his good conscience would be led to Jesus and the Church.’

It is this above Catholic belief of mine which is found offensive.

The issue is also the Eucharist.

How can a priest or Archbishop in public mortal sin offer Holy Mass?

To reject or change an ex cathedra dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus is a mortal sin.

To reject or change this dogma, in the name of Vatican Council II (and without any supportive text from Vatican Council II) is still a mortal sin.

How can a priest or a prelate on a blog (comment) reject an ex cathedra dogma and without Confession or a public clarification (to remove the scandal) offer Mass? Is this not cautioned in Canon Law 915?

Those who have been ... obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.-Code of Canon Law 915

It is also rejecting the Creed in which we pray: 'I believe in one baptism for the rejection of sin’. Everyone needs to the baptism of water to remove Original Sin. This includes all Muslims.

We also pray in the Creed ' I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church’. It is the Holy Spirit which has guided the Magisterium of the Catholic Church over the centuries, to teach, everyone with no exception needs to enter the Church for salvation.

So to reject this teaching is a First Class Heresy. It’s correcting the Creed.

They are not concerned about the sacrilege of the Eucharist but are only fearful of the Muslims.

Kindly assist me, in defending myself, if this issue is taken to court.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

ARCHBISHOP OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN DENIES CATHOLIC FAITH OUT OF FEAR OF MUSLIMS
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/archbishop-of-lahore-pakistan-denies.html#links

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011


ATTENTION ARCHBISHOP LAWRENCE SALDHANA : PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OFFICIALLY TEACHES THAT THE PROPHET WAS ORIENTED TO HELL
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/archbishop-lawrence-saldhana-catholic_10.html#links

(Please see comments in the above post).

'You cannot name anyone who has been declared by the Catholic Church to be in Hell. In fact the Catholic Church has not named ANYONE as being damned'

Apologist: The Cantate Domino document does not name ANYONE in particular as being damned but again talks only in hypotheticals.

Lionel: Cantate Domino speaks in general of Jews, Orthodox Christians, Protestants going to Hell if they do not convert. The text is clear.

Apologist: Based upon this you cannot name anyone who has been declared by the Catholic Church to be in Hell. In fact the Catholic Church has not named ANYONE as being damned.

Lionel: Neither can you claim that the Church considers them all in Heaven. Don't fall for that liberal line.

Apologist : You keep complaining that I have not shown you one place where the Church teaches that some specific person has been saved by extraordinary means.

Lionel: .’..not been saved by the extra ordinary means in the present’. times. The phrase ‘present times’ is important since you allege there are persons saved in invincible ignorance etc in the present times, even though there is no text in Vatican Council II which says so.

Apologist: I counter that YOU have not shown me a single instance where the Church teaches that one specific person has been damned.

Lionel:

The Church is saying here that Mohammad and all Muslims need to enter the Church for salvation. They have not. They are on the way to Hell.

This doctrine must not be set against the universal salvific will of God (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); “it is necessary to keep these two truths together, namely, the real possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind and the necessity of the Church for this salvation”.-Dominus Iesus 20

If you say that the exceptions are the ordinary means of salvation then of course note that this is not the teaching of the Church.

If you say that Mohammad was an exception then again I would ask you how do you know.

The norm to go to Heaven according to the Church in Dominus Iesus 20 is the Church.

Above all else, it must be firmly believed that “the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5), and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door”. Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II.

The Church is saying here that Mohammad and all Muslims need to enter the Church with Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water for salvation. Mohammad did not.

“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

The ex cathedra dogma indicates Mohammad did not convert into the Church and so is in the fires of Hell.

(This is an extract from a recent 'discussion' with an apologist via the Internet.)