How Can Catholics Say There's No Salvation Outside the Church?

Can someone be saved outside the Catholic Church? Trent Horn @TheCounselofTrent explores the Catholic doctrine of salvation and the distinction between denominations and apostolic churches.

[jaymoret]

There's no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. And He's the head of the Catholic Church.

[davidcole]

Bottom line is that Christ alone judges...and He can judge as he sees fit.

[Catholicity-uwyb]

ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II: “The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace, which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation.”

[Catholicity-uwyb]

ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II: “By forgiving his executioners, Jesus showed he is not the accuser of the guilty but rather their advocate and intercessor. Jesus’ words of forgiveness – “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” – were spoken in circumstances of the greatest hatred and cruelty.
Jesus forgives His adversaries immediately, even as their hostility continues.
Jesus is the defender, not the accuser of the guilty, because He knows that many can be less guilty than it appears, or one thinks. For this reason, he taught his followers not to judge others.
The mercy Jesus asked for His executioners is extended to all humanity.”

[mitchellosmer]

' Romans 6:23 says, 'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ' 'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12).

[johnflorio]

Non Salus Extra Ecclesiam.

Ephesians 4:4-6. There is only one God, only one faith, and only one baptism.

[apocryphanow]

Perhaps put the question in reverse. If no one needs the Church, why did Jesus create the Church?

[rhwinner]

If you're not at the supper of the Lamb in the Holy Eucharist, if you deliberately absent yourself from the flock of Christ, if you cut yourself off from the Body of Christ, if you withhold charity for your Brothers in Christ and hurl invective and slander, and accuse of being in league with Beelzebub, then your sin is very dire indeed.

[mitchellosmer]

What is the Bible verse for the way of salvation?
The Plan of Salvation
The great love of God for man (John 3:16)
He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Saviour (Luke 19:10)
Sent the Holy Spirit as a guide (John 16:13)
Gave the Gospel as "the power" unto salvation (Romans 1:16)
Provided atonement by the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9)

[coldforgedcowboy]

@Catholic Answers you should have probably brought up Feeneyism when answering this question as it would have helped a lot.

[in_defense_of_the_church]

I’ll start by admitting my ignorance in what the Church’s formal documents say about this and I’m willing to submit to what Holy Mother Church has decided about this but as for now in my ignorance I hold the thought that apologists and many Catholics are afraid to stand firm and draw a hard line on this topic. Yes, being charitable is a must but it’s like we try to blur the line so that others don’t get offended.

Our Lord is not bound by an institution and He is not bound by the Sacraments but is He bound by His own words? I believe we hold to the truth that God does not contradict Himself. Yes as the parable of the workers teaches that He can do what He pleases with His money/salvation, God has also said things like Matthew 7:21 and Luke 6:46.
Why did our Lord start an ecclesia if it wasn’t His will that all who believe should come into it as in John 17:21-23?

Those Christian clubs may have bits and pieces of the truth but if I or any Catholic today left the Church to teach half truths and some errors She would excommunicate us not support the decision bc we still hold on to some truths. Why would it be any different for groups that broke of a few centuries ago and even more with groups breaking off even more recently.

Islam in a vague sense does contain some truths but we don’t hold to the belief that whether a person is Christian or muslim makes no difference. Half truths and schisms are not God’s will per Scripture.

Why share the faith and defend Holy Mother Church just to go back and tell those outside of the Church that being in or out isn’t that serious?

We, as Catholics, don’t even believe in us having an infallible certitude of our own salvation and we let non Catholics believe that hey they may potentially, possibly, because God is so merciful, bc they hold to some truths, may find salvation in their rejection of the Church and Her doctrines and dogmas.

Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus!
Not because we think we are better than others but because it’s our baptismal obligation to share the truth so that those who hear it may accept it and who hears the words of the Apostles hears the Lord and the One who sent Him and those who reject the words of the Apostles reject our Lord and the One who sent Him. Our yes should be yes and our no should be no. “That which is over and above these, is of evil.” Matthew 5:37.

[racksityentertainment]

Am I the only one thinking this? Few humans with authority having the ability to canonize and call some chosen humans « saints » is opposed to the biblical revelation, since in the book, all brothers and sisters are saints. That’s why apostle Paul called members of the churches saints, it’s not a title for some exclusive people. It’s supposed to be the reality for all believers on the path of sanctification.

[JW_______]

Many words, in this case, were used to not answer the question rather than to answer it.

[catholicdoomer]

I am a former Protestant and I thank God now I have the sacrament of reconciliation.
Can protestants have an act of perfect contrition in the moment of their deaths and be saved? Yeah, sure, but this act seems to be RARE. The contrition we make in the confessional is very often imperfect, but it's enough for us to be perfectly cleansed from sin.
And Protestants have to ask God forgiveness for have been so anti-Catholic for their entire lives - which is often the case.
So, I see they can have a shot, but I think the vast majority won't make it. And I say this being the only Catholic in my Protestant family. The thing I ask the most in my prayers is their conversion. I also pray a lot for my ancestors who had perished and might be in purgatory...

[Catholicity-uwyb]

THE DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH: “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation.”

[EA-lobi]

This title of the video is misleading because there is ONLY salvation IN Christ, not the church.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬

The word “through” in this passage is not in the Greek manuscripts, it’s the koine Greek word “en” which is defined as: in, on, at, by, with.

If you just study scripture, these questions will be answered. The gospel during this dispensation is clearly laid out in 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

[jaykwonzzz]

There's a lot of comments on this video that seem to be making salvific claims. If you think you know who will be saved, then I suggest you examine your relationship with God and the Church.

[watchyoutb]

I would need to read more on this teaching but to the less read up layperson it's one of those things which feels a bit difficult to fit together. I'd want it to be a bit simpler - "you need to be a member of the Catholic Church". But then the talk of people being members of the "invisible" Church etc., those that sincerely seek the truth, muddies the water and it gets more complicated and more difficult to get to grips with. Not many people are going to actually read enough to get a unified understanding. Maybe I'll get around to it one day.

[blaiseaimee]

How come Trent keeps saying "Church Catholic" instead of "Catholic Church"? I didn't get the memo.

[MaranglikPeterTo-Rot]

Thank you Catholic Answers.
And a special thanks to Trent Horn.
Gracias ❤️