Am I going to Hell because im Not Roman Catholic?

Question

Unam Sanctam- Issued by Pope Boniface VIII, November 18, 1302 states:

"That there is only One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church we are compelled by faith to believe and hold, and we firmly believe in her and sincerely confess her, Outside of whom there is Neither salvation Nor remission of sins..."
"Therefore, if the Greeks or others should say that they are Not confided to Peter and to his successors, they must confess Not being the sheep of Christ..."
"Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff."

Pretty Freaky.
So, am I going to Hell because Im Not Roman Catholic, just because the so-called "Vicar of Christ" said so?

Answer 1

A. This is not what he said. Just in case you are interested in correcting your misconception. The full text is here.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html
B. Explain why this would disturb you so much, but all the Fundamentalists who condemn other religions to Hell doesn't? A saved Ted Bundy gets into Heaven while Gandhi is in Hell- that doesn't bother you? Sounds a little hypocritical to me.

Answer 2

I am Catholic, and there is no guarantee that either you or I are going to heaven or hell.

David J. Palm did a great job explaining this with an analogy. I think you'll find it helpful:

"What about Pope Boniface VIII's decree Unam Sanctam in which he declares that "it is altogether necessary for salvation to be subject to the Roman Pontiff"? Is it possible to be implicitly subject to the pope?

I thought of an analogy that helped me understand how these teachings mesh. Suppose a king comes to possess a new territory. Those in the capital city all know that they are under a new sovereign, and because of their explicit knowledge they must make a definite choice to submit or rebel. But there might well be those who live in isolated or remote parts of the realm who do not know that they fall under this jurisdiction. Objectively they are "subject" to the king, and yet subjectively they live as if they were not. Evaluation of their "submission" would have to be based on what they would do if they knew that they were under a new ruler.

So it is with people who are outside visible communion with the Catholic Church. It is a bit like "baptism of desire." The Church always has taught that those can be saved without water baptism who would be baptized if they knew of its necessity and had opportunity to receive it. So too with submitting to the Pope. Objectively everyone falls under the care of the Vicar of Christ, but subjectively many do not know or acknowledge this. The reasons for this are numerous: lack of information, misinformation, emotional and psychological blocks to hearing Catholic truth. Many non-Catholic Christians may be far out in the hinterlands as far as their genuine understanding of the Catholic Church is concerned.

It helped me to remember, too, that the Second Vatican Council never said it was easy to be saved outside of the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church. Catholics are not universalists, although many Catholics ignorant of the actual Council documents tend to believe that this is the Church's new position. Our duty as Catholics is still to reach all men and women with the fullness of Catholic truth; in the meantime their ultimate destiny is in God's hands, based on how fully they live up to the light they do have. On this point the bishops at Vatican II did nothing but make explicit and official what had always been taught in the Catholic Church. "

Answer 3

Um. You *did* check the date on that, right? You *do* realize that Unam Sanctam has been superseded by several documents in the intervening seven *hundred* years, right? I'd encourage you to read Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. It states, approximately, that the Catholic Church has the path to salvation (no surprise; most denominations make this same claim), but that non-Catholics who diligently believe they are following Christ can still achieve salvation.

Answer 4

The Pope proclaimed this, knowing that typical protestant Christians are members of the Catholic Church, although imperfectly united with it, due to their inability to accept all that the Catholic Church teaches, practices, and IS.

God is the judge. Not the Pope.

In the end, you'll need to take this matter up with Jesus, because it was he who founded the Catholic Church, expressly for the purpose of our salvation.

Answer 5

The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

No, the priests are going to hell for humping alter boys. They hardly have a right to preach, with the scandals and cover-ups they are trying to pull off.
Who can take Catholosism seriously anymore? They have born-again whores playing nuns, and still tell priests they can't have sex. They are stuck in the dark ages, and need to adapt.
The bible was written (at the best estimation) by stupid hebrews with no education. That was 2000 years ago. Ever played that game where everyone passes on a secret, and then it's revealed to the originator ten minutes later? Get my point?
Catholics are the laughing stock of Christianity, just because they refuse to adapt. The pope needs a boyfriend. That would help people take them a little bit more seriously.

Answer 7

Certainly not! Contrary to what others believe, It's NOT religion that saves people. And let me quote from Hebrews 9...
"without shedding of the blood, there is no REMISSION OF SIN"
Forgive me for saying this if this may sound offensive, but it is not the Pope's or any Catholic or any religious leader's blood that was shed. It's the blood of Christ that was offered.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Answer 8

Remind him of Matthew 7:2 whatever judgment you judge another with, you will also be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured unto you. Not all baptist are like that but yes some can be that way. We have been told we don't belong in their churches before because we wear leathers to church but if those little blue haired ladies had bothered to read our patches( Soldiers For Christ) then maybe they would have known we were invited. Just some of the instances I have had with baptists.

Answer 9

This is why I could never be Catholic. I just can't get past the fact that they believe a human being or a "church" is equal to and the same as God. Also there is the same old tired issue that most mainstream religions preach---the "my way or the highway" doctrine is what I like to call it. Oh well........

Answer 10

According to the Word of God, Religion does not determine your eternal future. Your Faith or lack of Faith in Jesus Christ and His free gift of Salvation is what the deciding factor is. Man, even if he is the pope has no say so in someone's eternity. Listen to what God has to say in His inerrant Word (bible), not what some man or so-called vicar of Christ says. God bless

Answer 11

The entire Roman Catholic priesthood from the lowest parish priest to the Pope is based on several fallacies.

In Old Testament times, there was a separate priesthood set up by God, in which the priests interceded before God for the sins of the people, as Man could not directly go to God because sin had separated us from Him.

The need for a distinct priesthood was removed when Jesus Christ died on the cross, for with His death the barrier of sin that had kept God and Man apart was removed, symbolized by the tearing of the Temple veil and finalized with the destruction of the Temple and it's priesthood. We can now go directly to God through our High Priest Jesus Christ with our prayers, and we need to confess our sins directly to Him, not to a sinful man.

Yet the Roman Catholic Church has arrogantly reinstated the priesthood that God destroyed, and the Popes have usurped the position of High Priest of the Christian church which the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:1) states belongs to Jesus Christ alone.

As far as Peter bneing the head of the Christian Church, if you read the New Testament Scriptures carefully, especially the book of Acts, it was James that was the leader of the early church, not Peter, as Peter deferred to James when major decisions concerning doctrine were to be made.

Paul was a huge leader of the early churches, and he rebuked Peter to his face in the book of Acts for hypocrisy. Paul never mentioned Peter as being the head of the Christian Church at any time.

Peter never went to Rome, either. Jesus was proclaimed King of the Jews, a direct threat to Caesar, yet He was summarily executed by Pilate. Peter was an ignorant fisherman, and yet the Catholic Church states that he was shipped to Rome to stand trial before Caesar? No Roman governor worth his position would expend the money and resources required to send an ignorant preacher to Rome for trial before Caesar, he would have handled the situation directly as happened with Jesus.

The apostle Paul was sent to Rome to stand before Caesar as he was a Roman citizen and it was his right to be heard before Caesar. Peter was not a Roman citizen and had no such right, neither would it bring glory to Caesar to have him sent to Rome as a prisoner, as was the case with barbarian kings, etc.

So no, you will not go to Hell because the Pope says so. He has no authority to proclaim such, neither does he have the power he claims to have, for only Jesus Christ alone can and will determine who enters Heaven and who does not.