This is for anybody who has been unfortunate enough to get onto the mass email list of the dishonest and two faced heretic, Antipope Augustine, AKA, 'Executive Director'.

Dishonest because he lies about believing himself to be either Catholic or pope, and two faced because sometimes he admits to his lies, and other times he claims to have repented and says "Oh, I really mean it this time..."

With no further ado,

What did Pope Pius IX teach concerning invincible ignorance? Did he teach that a person, who is invincibly ignorant of the true religion, may be saved by this invincible ignorance, as some modern day heretics imagine?

Definitely not. To assert that he taught this is to ignore the many defenses he made of the dogma that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church, as well as ignoring the objective sense of the teachings, so often misapplied by heretics, which speak on the topic of invincible ignorance.

Let's examine the texts in which Pope Pius IX is accused of teaching invincible ignorance:

Pope Pius IX, Singulari Quadem, December 9, 1854: "For it must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood; but, on the other hand, it is necessary to hold for certain that they who labor in ignorance of the true religion, if this ignorance is invincible, are not stained by any guilt in this matter in the eyes of God."

So first of all, if a person has not ENTERED into the Faith, the ONLY ark of salvation, trhen he shall perish. He goes on to teach that ignorance itself will not excuse a person from the guilt of infidelity to the true religion (such as subjecting oneself to a publicly heretical antipope, or being raised in a Protestant sect, but invincible ignorance alone). Notice also that the teaching of Pope Pius IX does NOT state that such persons will be exonerated from the guilt of original sin or any other sins against morality. Pope Pius IX never taught that persons who die in the state of invincible ignorance of the true Faith could be saved, but that their just and eternal punishment would not include punishment for the sin of infidelity. This is perfectly in line with God's justice.

Pope Pius IX, Singulari Quidem, 1856, #7: "This hope of salvation is placed in the Catholic Church which, in preserving the true worship, is the solid home of this faith and the temple of God. Outside of the Church, nobody can hope for life or salvation unless he is excused through ignorance beyond his control."

At first glance this one sentence may appear to teach that a person may be saved outside of the Catholic Church. But we already know Pope Pius IX censures this proposition as a very grave error. So what is he really saying? He says that nobody can HOPE for life or salvation, not that nobody can ATTAIN it. He is speaking of those who, again, are ignorant INVINCIBLY, that is beyond their control - people who have no way whatsoever in their power to learn of the true Faith of Jesus Christ. Such people, following the Law of God written on their conscience, may indeed hope for life and salvation, since they have not rejected that Faith, of which they are unable to be aware. This hope is made possible by the mercy of God, at who's pleasure such a person may be profitably enlightened with the Gospel.

A person who is CULPABLY ignorant on the other hand, does not have this excuse, and is guilty before the Lord of the sin of negligence. The only hope of life and salvation for these people is a vain hope, since they have failed in their important obligation to learn and profess the one true religion of the one true God, or worse yet, they have willfully rejected it. Such a person cannot hope for life or salvation, until they profitably correct their culpability and embrace the true religion.

If it seems like a stretch to understand the words of Pope Pius IX in this manner, consider what he has stated in the paragraph immediately preceding this one:

Pope Pius IX, Singulari Quidem, 1856, #6: "The Church has always condemned and continues to condemn the conduct of those who abuse their reason; those who do not fear to foolishly and criminally prefer reason to the authority of what God Himself says; those who boldly exalt themselves; those who, blinded by their pride and their vanity, lose the light of truth and proudly spurn the faith of which it is written: "Whoever does not believe will be condemned." Full of confidence in themselves, they deny that we must believe in God for Himself and accept what He taught us about Himself."

The next quote offer by modern heretics:

Pope Pius IX, Quanto Conficiamur Moerore, 1863, #7: "Here, too, our beloved sons and venerable brothers, it is again necessary to mention and censure a very grave error entrapping some Catholics who believe that it is possible to arrive at eternal salvation although living in error and alienated from the true faith and Catholic unity. Such belief is certainly opposed to Catholic teaching."

Okay, first he states that it is an error to believe in salvation outside of the Church. No problem here. He goes on:

"There are, of course, those who are struggling with invincible ignorance about our most holy religion. Sincerely observing the natural law and its precepts inscribed by God on all hearts and ready to obey God, they live honest lives and are able to attain eternal life by the efficacious virtue of divine light and grace. Because God knows, searches and clearly understands the minds, hearts, thoughts, and nature of all, his supreme kindness and clemency do not permit anyone at all who is not guilty of deliberate sin to suffer eternal punishments."

Wonderful! What does the objective sense of this text state? Does it state that a person WHO DIES in that state will be saved, or even may be saved? No. It simply states that God will not suffer such a person to be eternally punished. What does this mean, in the context of his encyclical and of Catholic dogma? The obvious answer, the ONLY answer is that God will get that person, who stained only with original sin and has never willingly consented to actual sin, baptized, bringing him into His faith so that he may merit eternal life. The words of Pius IX are justly understood in this light, since there is no contradiction here with the Catholic dogma.

A great example in history of a person who followed the natural law written on his heart is Blessed Caius of Korea. The man was obviously given great grace by God, until such a time as his conscience was illuminated by the light of the Gospel, in short, to use the words of Pope Pius IX in the previous paragraph, he was "able to attain eternal life by the efficacious virtue of divine light and grace". And it was Pope Pius IX, himself, who beatified him.