Catholics: Does the Church believe Protestants are saved?

Question

I almost converted to Catholicism after the Episcopal Church split but I couldn't get over a few issues, mainly Mary. I have utmost respect for Catholicism and the Papacy and for how much of Christian history is Catholic history. I am a little worried that Catholicism might be more true than any one branch of Protestantism and I don't want to be condemned for heresy. Are we heretics in your eyes or Christian brothers? What is the Church's position?
I am now a member of a Bible Church which stays loyal to Nicean Doctrines. Is that enough or do we need the Pope?

Answer 1

You don't need the Pope. You just need Jesus.

Answer 2

David, yours is a very good question and has some historical context. When the Protestants first broke away from the Church in the 1600's they were automatically excommunicated b/c they were directly rejecting the Church founded by Christ. They also created many new, unbiblical doctrines. That was clearly pure apostasy.

But in this day and age, where we have Protestants born to Protestant families, and who have never "formally" rejected Catholicism, the answer is not so clear, especially since the Catholic Church recognizes the baptisms of many Protestant sects.

It would be more accurate to say that only the baptized can be saved, and this does not always mean by water (can be through the blood of martrydom or the baptism of desire).

Yes, it's true that many Protestant doctrines are heretical, but the culpability of its individual members varies depending on each situation. Have they been exposed to the Truth? If not, how much can they be held responsible? If so, perhaps they are guilty of open rebellion against Christ's true Church.

Yes, the Catholic Church is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ. She has the words of life and the unity of belief which is safeguarded by the Pope and the Magesterium.

You will never find this unity of belief in any Protestant church. They are constantly changing because their beliefs are man-made and are destined to fail. They do not have the promises that Christ made to Peter and the Church ("the gates of Hell shall not prevail......I give thee the keys to the kingdom.....the power of binding and loosing).

Now that you know this, it is your responsibility to cling to the true Church. Try www.scripturecatholic.com

God bless you. Please email me at [e-mail] if there's anything in particular you'd like to discuss. Mary was difficult for me, too. I left the Catholic Church for a while in my teen years........

Answer 3

First I want to say God bless you in your search. I know where you're at because I was there myself. I used to be a Jehovah's Witness but became Catholic in my adult life after I studied Christianity and it's roots.

Catholic or Protestant, we are all brothers in Christ. The Church teaches this. This is why we are to constantly show love to one another so that we can build each other up. The fact remains, though, that for the fullness of Faith, we need to unite ourselves with the Church originally founded by Christ.

I've entered into number of discussions with others thinking about becoming Catholic, and I've found there are some simple questions that help to provide a lot of answers. For instance: Jesus gave us one faith, one Church. It started with the apostles and from there spread to the world. Jesus didn't say, "Here's the faith. Now, interpret it as you will and do your own thing." This value of personal interpretation over the authority of the Church is why we have so many different protestant sects. I'm no downing my brothers in Christ, but simply pointing out why we have so many different denominations, which carries with it so much confusion.

I sincerely wish all could come to know the joy I have found in the Church, and come home, because that's what the Church is: home.

God bless.

Answer 4

You do need the Pope. He is the rock on which Christ has built His church, the Roman Catholic church. It is only in the Catholic church that salvation can be found since this is the only divinely instituted church whereas all others are man-made churches and reject the Petrine Primacy and differ on major doctrines.

Why is Mary a major issue for you? She is not God, but a very loving Mother given to us by God at a very crucial time--while he hung in torments on the cross. He honors Her as His Mother and would be pleased if we honored Her too. I can assure you that if you pray with the Mother of God, as the apostles did on Pentecost, She will bring you close to Jesus in a way that no one or nothing else can.

Satan hates the humility and littleness of this Gentle Woman, he hates the fact that She bore the Son of God, the Saviour of the world and tries his utmost to keep souls away from Mary who has been given many powers by God to help her little ones.

Check out this link and hope you come to the correct decision soon:
http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/

Answer 5

I'm with revulayshun on this one, and also the fact that there are many ,many Catholics who either have no understanding or very little understanding of Catholicism's teachings on the doctrine of salvation but yet they are quick to say they believe it. The same thing for many, many people who claim they are protestants, who have no understanding or very little understanding of the biblical teachings on the doctrine of salvation but yet they claim they are saved. I believe there are many people whose claims of salvation are false but they don't know that it is false and this is the one thing that every person making that claim had better be sure about before they take that last breath because if a person is wrong about this there is no second chance to get it right.

Answer 6

Sometimes coming into the Light is scary. You are beginning to realize the Catholic Church possesses something no other non-Catholic Christian (denomination or individual) can rightfully claim - the Fullness of the Truth.

Let me put it to you this way: If you are really, honestly, truly, beginning to believe the Catholic Church is the One, True, Holy, Unversal, and Apostolic Church, logically speaking you're going to consider becoming a member of that Church.

While such a prospect of conversion may be scary, there is nothing to fear.

Answer 7

Protestants are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the old idea of "You cannot be saved outside the Catholic Church" is no longer considered true, according to the priests I've talked to. The only requirement for salvation is to accept the atoning Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross for your sins, so Protestants are definitely saved.

I'm not sure what your "issues" with Mary might be. We certainly don't worship her, but we do honor her as a beautiful example of Christian womanhood. Her loyalty, courage, and love for God makes her worthy to be called "blessed among women." She is by no means the focus of our faith, so you could have joined the Church with an easy mind.

The Catholic faith is my choice because I love the Mass and the Eucharist. The liturgy provides me with stability, and I love my denomination very much. The Pope's teachings and leadership are very comforting to me, as is the weight of tradition behind the Catholic faith. Each person has to make the decision that is best for them when it comes to faith matters, however.

If you ever *do* decide that you want to join the Catholic church, I think that you will find your concerns will be thoroughly answered during the studying involved with the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes. God bless you!

Answer 8

The catholic church's position is that other allegedly christian churches are heretical. The extreme protestant position is that the catholic church is heretical. The orthodox church's position is that the Nicene creed is heretical. So you're doomed.

Realistically, if an intelligent deity existed, do you really think he would condemn anyone because they were a good person who showed up at the wrong building one day a week? The christian attitude that Gandhi is condemned to hell for not accepting christianity while baptized christians from Hitler to the VT shooter still have a chance for heaven is absurd.

Answer 9

You are not condemned by Ur "Works", but by Failing to Accept Christ as Savior!!! 1 Cor. 3:12&13 says; "For Ur works are as Wood, Hay & Stubble which when tested by Fire are consumed." Isiah 64:6 says; Your "Works" are as "Filthy Rags" (Hebrew here is for Menstral Rags) Even a blind person can see that the Catholic church is "Steeped" in "Mans Laws" (Catholic Dogma) one of which was just changed about "Limbo" when their "Own Rules" says it can't be changed!!! The Pope put his dress on the same way U do friend!!! He is Human & without Christ, just as Lost as anyone else!!! If U seek the Truth, pick up the True Bible & read all about it! Think for Urself, U don't need another sinner to lead U to Hell!!! John

Answer 10

Isn't the point of being a believer of Jesus to follow him? It was he who selected the Apostles and made Peter the head. He did this for a reason, and I only know that he did things for good reasons, things that bless us. Those are things to think about.

There is noting in Catholic belief that would suggest that Protestants cannot be saved.

Answer 11

The root of the word 'heresy' means to split apart. If you use a theologically technical definition of heresy, which means that some part of the whole truth has been taken away; then, yes Protestantism is a heresy. But not in the burn you at the stake you are definitely going to hell sense the word once (unfortunately) had. Protestants are viewed as Catholics who are not fully reconciled to the church. You are a member of the Church Christ established (And there is only one of those)by virtue of your baptism. You don't have the benefit of the magisterium or the sacraments and that is comonly expressed as lacking the "Fullness of the Faith." We certainly believe that you can be saved through the Grace of God by the truth retained in the Protestant faith but that doesn't mean we wouldn't dearly love to see you "swim the Tiber" but until then you are my separated brother in Christ. Here is the official statement from the Catholic Catechism and I will link to an online copy so you can read it for yourself and see that I'm not lying.

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:


Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his 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.337

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."338

I have a Yahoo group for people like yourself who would like to discuss the issues they have with the Catholic Church....no pressure. We're friendly and well educated and you'd be welcome to participate or lurk as you choose. It's called the Catholic Spitfire Grill or you can email me.