http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/13May/may23ftt.htmMy purpose in sharing the writings of Monsignor Fenton is to inform those of good will who are confused on the issue of salvation, by clarifying the infallible teaching that there is no salvation outside the Church, and that non-members of that Church can be saved. This will be shown by the infallible teaching of Popes throughout the history of the Church. For it is much better to go by the greatest orthodox theologian of the 20th century,
Monsignor Joseph Clifford Fenton's interpretation of the infallible teaching of Popes than our own.
Another goal of mine when presenting the Church's teaching on salvation is to show what is probably already obvious, and that is that salvation is not guaranteed to formal members of the Church as damnation is not a sure thing for all who are not formal members of the Church. We are distinguishing the minimal requirements necessary as pertaining to membership in the Church, and in
belonging to and being
within that Church, at least in desire, in regards to the infallible teachings on salvation. Members of the Catholic Church who die in a state of mortal sin are Satan's greatest catch because
Jesus had them in the Ark but they jumped out and Satan, playing the role of shark, snatched them right up. Better to be in the state of grace with a living faith and charity, though not a member of the Church, than to be a member in mortal sin. The catechumens and even the excommunicated can die in a state of sanctifying grace. Being joined to the Church in desire is like being in the ocean while holding on to the Ark as it is heading to its destination. It is much easier for those in the Ark [members of the Church] to reach their destination [be saved] than it is for those holding on. People in the Ark can kill themselves or "jump out" [mortal sin] and not reach their destination, and people outside the Ark can be attached to it at the moment of death and be saved [be a member of the Catholic Church Triumphant (Heaven), though those enjoying the benefit of baptism of desire may have to join the Church Suffering (Purgatory) first].
There is no such thing as an invisible member of the Church Militant, though there can be one on the path of salvation who is not a member of the visible Church, but attached to it in desire. Non-members of the Church, who join the Church Suffering or Church Triumphant at death do not achieve their salvation independently of the Catholic Church, they are not and cannot be saved by a false religion. They cannot be saved outside the Catholic Church. They are saved by the Catholic Church. Baptism, validly ministered, is the Catholic Church's Sacrament. Sanctifying grace is infused in souls through the Catholic Church. The treasury of graces merited by Christ can be applied to non-members of the Church as actual graces nudging them towards salvation. These graces are not obtained from outside the Church but from the Church of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church, and applied by God through His Church to non-members who are rightly disposed to accept them.
In theology manuals, you will see again and again, how it is not a sinful life that expels you from the visible Church, or prevents you from legitimately holding ecclesiastical office, but public heresy, infidelity (being an infidel) or apostasy. People today have difficulty distinguishing between the sinful life, versus a departure from the Church; one pertains to
salvation, and the other to
membership in the Catholic Church. Note here that salvation and membership are not always a package deal, nor is damnation and non-membership. Membership puts one in a much better position to be saved and non-membership makes salvation incredibly difficult, but in both cases they are not irrevocably linked. Those attached to the Church are not members. We cannot assume that all those who appear of good will are attached to the Church and we should not assume such to be the case. Just because the possibility exists for non-members of the Church to become members at death, as a result of their attachment to Her in this life, does not mean this is the general rule rather than an exception.
The non-members of the Church, who have faith and charity, as many catechumens do and some excommunicates may, can be said to be part of the soul of the Church but not the body. Members of the Church, who profess the faith, partake of the Sacraments and are subject to the Roman Pontiff
but are culpable of unrepentant mortal sin can be said to be members of the body of the Church but not the soul. But we have to be careful when speaking of the "body" and "soul" of the Church. It will be authoritatively shown that those who are in state of sanctifying grace, but do not have the requisites for membership, are
within the Church but not members. This is what analogically is spoken of by some theologians as being members of the "soul" of the Church. But in fact they are not members at all but only attached to the Church in desire and longing.
The only actual members of the Church Militant are the visible members, who profess the faith, partake of the Sacraments and are subject to the Supreme Pontiff, regardless of the states of their souls. Those who have supernatural faith and charity but have not been baptized, or are not subject to the Supreme Pontiff, through no fault of their own, are not formal members of the Church. Technically they are not members of the Church at all, but only attached to it, yet they can be saved, while the formal members can be damned. The concept is simple but it has been confused by modern, self-proclaimed theologians who have taken their cue from
Father Feeney, who was not submissive to the Roman Pontiff after his grave error (or heresy) became manifest. Those influenced by these self-proclaimed theologians must understand that those who accept the doctrine of Baptism of Blood and Baptism of Desire, do not redefine membership of the Church, or claim that other religions save. We have not invented a new Church which goes beyond the bounds of the visible Catholic Church. We merely accept the fact that those who die legitimately attached to the Catholic Church and are in a state of sanctifying grace can be saved.
I hope to clarify further from authoritative writings in future installments that one can belong to the Church or be
within it without being a member. One's salvation or damnation is dependent upon
sanctifying grace, not upon a perceived or actual technicality. Sanctifying grace is obtained through Mystical Body of Christ which is the Catholic Church. If you die in a state of sanctifying grace you are saved. If you do not you are damned (those in Limbo are deprived of the Beatific Vision but do not suffer pain of sense, and enjoy a perfect state of natural happiness. Better to be in Limbo than not exist. Better not to exist than to suffer the pain of sense in Hell for eternity). In a sense, every other part of the equation is relative.
Let us read the article by Father Fenton on membership in the Church:
The following paragraph is important because there is no small debate on the concept of the Church having a body and soul, and how you can be a member of one but not the other. Some, otherwise good theologians of high repute, took this concept or analogy too far and the Feeneyites have had legitimate issue with some interpretations of this analogy. Others, less reputable have made the "soul" of the Church seem like a wider body than the formal Catholic Church and this was the type of thinking that led to the "subsists in" in
Lumen Gentium where the Mystical Body of Christ was wrongly defined as something more than the Catholic Church.
I would add my two cents here, but the three bolded paragraphs -