Can ex-Catholics be saved - a detailed look at the situation?
In 1985, I attended the first annual “Church Teaches Forum” which took place in Louisville, Kentucky. The keynote speaker at this event was Francis Cardinal Arinze. He gave an address to a 1,800 plus audience. One item he talked on was the subject of whether Catholics, who no longer attend Mass on Sunday, or who have left the Church for a non-Catholic religion, can be saved, if they do not return to the Catholic Church. He said: “The Catholic Church is not a free club; it is a necessary means of salvation established by Jesus Christ. Those who have known her, and left her, will not be saved”.
At first, this may sound like a strong or harsh statement, so let’s look at the mechanics of the Cardinal’s words in a step-by-step manner. What is presented here is an objective look at the situation. The key point is the term “have known her”. Only God can make the final judgment as to how well the person was aware of what they were doing when they left the church. One can't help wondering however, if the situation of an ex-Catholic is not similar to someone who takes a life raft and jumps off a ship at sea. The chances of them finding their way back on board are slim, as Hebrews 6:4-6 describes.
I will start with a little background info. From the first and third Commandment, (1st. I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have other gods besides me; 3rd. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day), we see that we are commanded to worship the One True God. This is a serious obligation. However, these two commandments do not tell us how we are to worship God.
At the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and commanded the Apostles to “do this in memory of Me” (Luke 22:19). So the Mass is the manner, which the Lord has prescribed, for us to worship Him. The Mass is also the channel by which the merits and graces that Christ won for us on the cross, are transmitted to us, throughout time, through Holy Communion.
As is stated above, the obligation to worship the Lord is a serious one, so the Church obliges us to attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days under pain of serious (mortal) sin (this is the “how” mentioned above). Mortal means a sin causing the death of the soul, as opposed to a venial sin which does not totally deprive a person of God’s saving grace (see 1 John 5:16). The Mass is the highest form of worship and the most powerful prayer we can offer to God. So intentionally missing Mass on any of the above mentioned days is a serious sin.
Now some will say: “Where does the Church get the authority to make such a statement”? That authority comes directly from Christ! In Matthew 16:19, our Lord says to Peter: “I will give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”. Here, our Lord gives to Peter, as the head of His Church – the Office of Pope – the authority to make rules and regulations to govern the Church. You will note that this is an absolute authority; there were no conditions, exceptions or exclusions in our Lords commission to Peter.
It should also be noted, that this authority was not given to Peter personally as an individual, but to the office which Peter would represent, the office of the Pope (also referred to as “The Chair of Peter”). In Matthew 18:18 our lord again gives this same authority to all the apostles as a group. This authority and that given to Peter is passed on to their successors (Apostolic Succession - 2 Timothy 2:2.), and is exercised when the bishops come together for a Church Council.
So what happens when a person decides to leave the Catholic Church for a non-Catholic religion? Well the first Sunday, and each Sunday thereafter that they miss Mass, they commit a serious sin
Now, some will say that: “Well I left the Catholic Church, so their rules no longer apply to me – right?” “WRONG”! All baptized Catholics must die within the Church. As Cardinal Arinze said above, the Catholic Church is NOT a free club where we come and go as we please. When a person is baptized a Catholic, a special spiritual indelible mark is placed on their soul, which in fact makes their soul the property of the Catholic Church so to speak. This is why the devils in hell can tell a Catholic soul from a non-Catholic one. It is the same idea as when a Catholic man is ordained to the Priesthood. The Sacrament of Holy orders puts an indelible mark on his soul which differentiates him from a Catholic layman. In hell, the devils know which Catholics were priests or bishops.
Now, here is the final problem for the ex-Catholic. How can his or her sins be forgiven? Many non-Catholics say that they can go direct to God to have their sins forgiven. Even if this were true, there is still one problem. For our sins to be forgiven, we must repent and have a firm purpose not to commit that sin again (Acts 2:38). However, for the ex-Catholic, there is one sin that they have not repented of – the sin of missing Mass on Sunday. If they have no intention of returning to the Catholic Church, then those sins (and all other sins they may be guilty of) cannot be forgiven, and they are still in a state of serious sin.
To be saved, these individuals must return to the Church, go to the Sacrament of Confession, and become a practicing Catholic again. I might add a side note here. There are about 40 verses (OT & NT) in scripture that deal with or prefigure Christ's institution of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession). See John 20: 19-23 for a start.
To cast aside the “pearl of great price” is a serious error - and sin. The pearl of great price is the Catholic Faith, "the pillar and foundation of the TRUTH" - the “fullness of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) - given to us by Jesus Christ Himself and handed down throughout the ages by and through the Catholic Church.
Keep in mind that each one of us gets to travel this earthly road to heaven only once. If we blow it now, there is no second chance to do it all over the right way. So we better get it right the first time. Don’t be fooled by the ever so popular statement, “God won’t send me to hell for…” God doesn’t send anyone to hell. Through our own free will we send ourselves to hell by the choices we make here on earth. God merely ratifies that choice at the time of our judgment. Therefore let us choose wisely while we still have the chance. Pray to know the truth while there is still time, for at the moment of death, the time of grace will have passed – the time of Justice will have come. Let us do now what, on the Day of Judgment, we would then wish we would have done!
It is hoped that this writing will be of help to all those who read it. If this letter does not apply to you the reader, please pass it on to someone who might find it useful.
God bless.
_________________________________________________________________
References & Resources
Luther and the Bible - Dr. David Anders. Dr. Anders was a Presbyterian Bible scholar who did his PhD. Studies in Reformation History.
Church teaches forum 2017 Eternal Life Catachetical Materials by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ. Catholic Teachings Roman Catholic Church
In 1985, I attended the first annual “Church Teaches Forum” which took place in Louisville, Kentucky. The keynote speaker at this event was Francis Cardinal Arinze. He gave an address to a 1,800 plus audience. One item he talked on was the subject of whether Catholics, who no longer attend Mass on Sunday, or who have left the Church for a non-Catholic religion, can be saved, if they do not return to the Catholic Church. He said: “The Catholic Church is not a free club; it is a necessary means of salvation established by Jesus Christ. Those who have known her, and left her, will not be saved”.
At first, this may sound like a strong or harsh statement, so let’s look at the mechanics of the Cardinal’s words in a step-by-step manner. What is presented here is an objective look at the situation. The key point is the term “have known her”. Only God can make the final judgment as to how well the person was aware of what they were doing when they left the church. One can't help wondering however, if the situation of an ex-Catholic is not similar to someone who takes a life raft and jumps off a ship at sea. The chances of them finding their way back on board are slim, as Hebrews 6:4-6 describes.
I will start with a little background info. From the first and third Commandment, (1st. I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have other gods besides me; 3rd. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day), we see that we are commanded to worship the One True God. This is a serious obligation. However, these two commandments do not tell us how we are to worship God.
At the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and commanded the Apostles to “do this in memory of Me” (Luke 22:19). So the Mass is the manner, which the Lord has prescribed, for us to worship Him. The Mass is also the channel by which the merits and graces that Christ won for us on the cross, are transmitted to us, throughout time, through Holy Communion.
As is stated above, the obligation to worship the Lord is a serious one, so the Church obliges us to attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days under pain of serious (mortal) sin (this is the “how” mentioned above). Mortal means a sin causing the death of the soul, as opposed to a venial sin which does not totally deprive a person of God’s saving grace (see 1 John 5:16). The Mass is the highest form of worship and the most powerful prayer we can offer to God. So intentionally missing Mass on any of the above mentioned days is a serious sin.
Now some will say: “Where does the Church get the authority to make such a statement”? That authority comes directly from Christ! In Matthew 16:19, our Lord says to Peter: “I will give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”. Here, our Lord gives to Peter, as the head of His Church – the Office of Pope – the authority to make rules and regulations to govern the Church. You will note that this is an absolute authority; there were no conditions, exceptions or exclusions in our Lords commission to Peter.
It should also be noted, that this authority was not given to Peter personally as an individual, but to the office which Peter would represent, the office of the Pope (also referred to as “The Chair of Peter”). In Matthew 18:18 our lord again gives this same authority to all the apostles as a group. This authority and that given to Peter is passed on to their successors (Apostolic Succession - 2 Timothy 2:2.), and is exercised when the bishops come together for a Church Council.
So what happens when a person decides to leave the Catholic Church for a non-Catholic religion? Well the first Sunday, and each Sunday thereafter that they miss Mass, they commit a serious sin
Now, some will say that: “Well I left the Catholic Church, so their rules no longer apply to me – right?” “WRONG”! All baptized Catholics must die within the Church. As Cardinal Arinze said above, the Catholic Church is NOT a free club where we come and go as we please. When a person is baptized a Catholic, a special spiritual indelible mark is placed on their soul, which in fact makes their soul the property of the Catholic Church so to speak. This is why the devils in hell can tell a Catholic soul from a non-Catholic one. It is the same idea as when a Catholic man is ordained to the Priesthood. The Sacrament of Holy orders puts an indelible mark on his soul which differentiates him from a Catholic layman. In hell, the devils know which Catholics were priests or bishops.
Now, here is the final problem for the ex-Catholic. How can his or her sins be forgiven? Many non-Catholics say that they can go direct to God to have their sins forgiven. Even if this were true, there is still one problem. For our sins to be forgiven, we must repent and have a firm purpose not to commit that sin again (Acts 2:38). However, for the ex-Catholic, there is one sin that they have not repented of – the sin of missing Mass on Sunday. If they have no intention of returning to the Catholic Church, then those sins (and all other sins they may be guilty of) cannot be forgiven, and they are still in a state of serious sin.
To be saved, these individuals must return to the Church, go to the Sacrament of Confession, and become a practicing Catholic again. I might add a side note here. There are about 40 verses (OT & NT) in scripture that deal with or prefigure Christ's institution of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession). See John 20: 19-23 for a start.
To cast aside the “pearl of great price” is a serious error - and sin. The pearl of great price is the Catholic Faith, "the pillar and foundation of the TRUTH" - the “fullness of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) - given to us by Jesus Christ Himself and handed down throughout the ages by and through the Catholic Church.
Keep in mind that each one of us gets to travel this earthly road to heaven only once. If we blow it now, there is no second chance to do it all over the right way. So we better get it right the first time. Don’t be fooled by the ever so popular statement, “God won’t send me to hell for…” God doesn’t send anyone to hell. Through our own free will we send ourselves to hell by the choices we make here on earth. God merely ratifies that choice at the time of our judgment. Therefore let us choose wisely while we still have the chance. Pray to know the truth while there is still time, for at the moment of death, the time of grace will have passed – the time of Justice will have come. Let us do now what, on the Day of Judgment, we would then wish we would have done!
It is hoped that this writing will be of help to all those who read it. If this letter does not apply to you the reader, please pass it on to someone who might find it useful.
God bless.
_________________________________________________________________
References & Resources
Luther and the Bible - Dr. David Anders. Dr. Anders was a Presbyterian Bible scholar who did his PhD. Studies in Reformation History.
Church teaches forum 2017 Eternal Life Catachetical Materials by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ. Catholic Teachings Roman Catholic Church
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