Last week’s homily was pretty long! Here’s the main point in a nutshell:

Note Well: extraordinary literally means “outside of the ordinary”—ordinary meaning order. Example [order]: “Enter the passcode numbers in proper order.”

Outside the Catholic Church, there is no salvation…

Concerning those who are not members of the Catholic Church, yet are united to her by desire (a speculative & unverifiable soteriological state)…such a union could only occur by an extraordinary extension of grace by God to the individual who is ignorant by no fault of his own (invincible ignorance). However, we do NOT know by Scripture or Tradition (revelation) whether such extraordinary action on the part of God actually happens–(The Church speculates that it COULD happen, She does not declare that it DOES happen). Therefore, the extension of extraordinary grace to & the salvation of an invincibly ignorant non-Catholic is a “God MIGHT” kinda thing in the realm of conjecture. We have absolutely no assurance in anyway whatsoever that He does do this. We only know that He can do this. IF He does, then He WILL save one who has both received this extraordinary grace AND persevered in it until death. We can NOT deny that it is possible for God to extend such an extraordinary grace to the invincibly ignorant. However, we can NOT hope in a possibility that may or may not be actualized (the extension by God of extraordinary grace).

Attempting to speculate further on this matter of “possibility?” that belongs to God alone is ill advised. You will never find a definitive answer to your questioning, but only anxiety & anger, or eventual religious indifferentism & the heresy of universalism. What we CAN and MUST do is hold tirelessly to the Great Commision and bring as many souls as we can into the safe harbor of Holy Mother Church for WE DO KNOW WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that a Catholic who dies in a state of grace WILL go to Heaven.

And so, outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation. If God extends an extraordinary grace to the invincibly ignorant, we will only know that He does so if & when we enter Heaven. Don’t wager a bet on salvation outside the Catholic Church when there might not be a prize to win, but only a punishment. (See Pascal’s Wager)

Extra Credit Reading!—Two heresies concerning salvation:

In 2nd-3rd century, Origen of Alexandria proposed the heresy of universalism (apokatastasis) whereby everyone eventually goes to heaven (including the devil). His theology of the eventual salvation of all rational beings spread and developed throughout the East. It was condemned by Pope Vigilius in 543 and at the 2nd Council of Constantinople in 553.

In the 1940’s , Fr. Leonard Feeney SJ propagated a heresy by essentially denying that it is possible that God might extend an extraordinary grace to an invincibly ignorant non-Catholic (and, thereby, opening up the possibility of salvation), as well as denying baptism by blood (the martyrdom of catechumens). He was excommunicated in the 1950’s. Thankfully, Fr. Feeney recanted his heresy in 1972 and was reconciled to Holy Mother Church before his death.