When Pope John Paul II issued Ut Unum Sint on Ecumenism (1995) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.For him Pope Pius XII was correct and Fr.Leonard Feeney was wrong.There was known salvation outside the Church. Those saved in invincible ignorance and the baptism of desire were saved without the baptism of water.These theoretical cases for us ,were known exceptions to the interpretation of Fr.Leonard Feeney. In other words, like the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 Cardinal Ratzinger assumed that these cases were visible in the flesh, personally known to be exceptions to all needing the baptism of water in the present times.If they were not known how could they be exceptions? So they had to be known on earth!
With this irrationality of being able to see the dead; the visible dead theory, he reviewed and approved the document Ut Unum Sint.
UT UNUM
SINTOn commitment to Ecumenism
10. In the present situation of the lack of unity among Christians and of the confident quest for full communion, the Catholic faithful are conscious of being deeply challenged by the Lord of the Church. The Second Vatican Council strengthened their commitment with a clear ecclesiological vision, open to all the ecclesial values present among other Christians.
Lionel:
In the following passages he will change Church ecclesiology with the irrationality of the visible- dead being explicit exceptions to traditional salvation and ecclesiology.
The Catholic faithful face the ecumenical question in a spirit of faith.
The Council states that the Church of Christ "subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him", and at the same time acknowledges that "many elements of sanctification and of truth can be found outside her visible structure. These elements, however, as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, possess an inner dynamism towards Catholic unity".
Lionel:
Note : Lumen Gentium 8 says 'This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church' and 'many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure '. Please read LG 8 again.It nowhere says that these elements of sanctification and of truth are exceptions to the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It does not state that we know ,or can know of, persons saved as such and saved without Catholic Faith.
The text does not say. Yet it is inferred by Ut Unum Sint that there are exceptions to extra ecclesiam nulla salus.So the dogma has been changed. Ecclesiology has been changed.Visible exceptions!?
"It follows that these separated Churches and Communities, though we believe that they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and value in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church".
Lionel:
Lumen Gentium 8 then says that a member of the separated Church and Communities could be saved. So there is salvation for Orthodox Christians and Protestants.This is a possibility.
A possibility, a hypothetical case for us is not a problem. Since a hypothetical case is not an explicit exception to all needing 'faith and baptism' for salvation. It does not contradict the 'rigorist interpretation' of Fr.Leonard Feeney.LG 8 is not opposed to the traditional interpretation of the dogma which affirmed exclusive ecclesiology.
So if there are Protestants and Evangelicals saved 'from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church' it would not be known to us. They are invisible cases.So we can accept this possibility and also affirm 'the rigorist interpretation' of the dogma. They are compatible.However for Cardinal Ratzinger it would not be compatible. Since for him these are visible and known cases. They are explicit and objective in his mind. This is how he pictures them. So they would be exceptions to the interpretation of Fr.Leonard Feeney.Ecclesiology has changed for him! There is a new understanding of ecumenism and salvation.
11.Indeed, the elements of sanctification and truth present in the other Christian Communities, in a degree which varies from one to the other, constitute the objective basis of the communion, albeit imperfect, which exists between them and the Catholic Church.
Lionel:
'constitute the objective basis of the communion'. They are possibilities! How can they be objective basis for communion?
For Cardinal Ratzinger they are objective.He assumes these persons saved in imperfect communion with the Church are objectively visible. So they become objective exceptions to the interpretation of the dogma according to Fr.Leonard Feeney.How can the dead now in Heaven be objective exceptions to Fr.Leonard Feeney? He uses an irrationality and so cannot say that the dogma has not been contradicted and Protestants and Orthodox Christians need to convert into the Catholic Church to avoid Hell.
To the extent that these elements are found in other Christian Communities, the one Church of Christ is effectively present in them.
Lionel:
How can we say that saving-elements are found in other Christian Communities and so they do not have to convert ?. Saving -elements in other communities would only be known to God.
For this reason the Second Vatican Council speaks of a certain, though imperfect communion.
Lionel:
Imperfect communion-yes. However it is wrong to presume that this imperfect communion would be known to us in personal cases ,who do not need to convert into the Church.it would be irrational to infer that we know who is saved 'outside the Church'.We do not know anyone in the present times who is saved outside the Catholic Church in a formal and objective sense. There would be some one saved outside the church if those saved in invincible ignorance and the baptism of desire were objectively seen and known to us.Cardinal Ratzinger infers they are.
Similar to Dominus Iesus and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Ratzinger has accepted the irrationality of the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 and applied it in Church documents during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.In this way he has changed the traditional teachings on ecumenism, salvation, Social Reign of Jesus Christ over all political systems, Christology and ecclesiology.
This was also a break with Pope Paul VI in 1964.
Indeed, honesty compels us to declare openly our conviction that the Christian religion is the one and only true religion, and it is our hope that it will be acknowledged as such by all who look for God and worship Him.-Ecclesiam Suam, Encylical of Pope Paul VI on the Church 1964.
-Lionel Andrades
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