What is the official Roman Catholic teaching on salvation?

Question

I am ex Catholic, so I know about the sacraments, etc. However, I am more curious about salvation outside of Jesus Christ. I see alot of Catholics allude that Jesus isnt necessary for salvation, but what is the official church teaching on this subject. Thank you in advance.

Tur b, Im not wanting to debate. I am really wondering and didnt want to take the effort to go to my moms and look it up in her Catechism. My mother believes that Muslims are saved. Is that official doctrine? She is one of those Catholics I mentioned among others in my life and on here. So is that official church doctrine was my only question? Not an attack; I hope this cleared that up. Gods peace

Tur B and Mike: I appreciate the answers. Thank you!

Answer 1

+ Salvation +

Here is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

+ Salvation without knowing Jesus Christ +

The Catholic Church believes that those who die never hearing of Christ but have sought the truth and does the will of God as they understand it can be saved.

This is based on Romans chapter 3:

For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified. For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law.

They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people's hidden works through Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:13-16)

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1257-1261: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#art1

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The official teaching of the Catholic Church is that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh to the Father except through Me."

However, unlike some denominations, we don't accept the idea of "Once saved, always saved." This is where people get the mistaken idea that Catholics believe in salvation by works. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Jam 2:14-17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Works are evidence that we are abiding in Christ and saved by Him. They are the part of our salvation that keeps our faith alive and our eyes focused on God.

Bottom line: we *were* saved by Christ's death on the Cross as the perfect Sacrifice for sin. We *are* saved through obedience to God and caring for His children on earth. We *will be* saved through the gift of final perseverance and God's grace.

Answer 3

Hi,

Getting baptized and accepting Jesus is not a license to continue sinning with immunity and impunity. Saved by believing in Christ and doing actions is what the Catholic church teaches. As Thomas Moore pointed out 500 years ago to the likes of Luther and Calvin, believing in being saved without works totally contradicts what Jesus taught.

Mike K

Answer 4

Pastor Billy says: very purely No. Catholics do no longer believe in a rapture as defined by making use of a minority of television evangelists and Plymouth Brethren. Catholics do no longer believe interior the assumption of Christian Zionism because of the fact the Church is the prefigurement of the dominion to return no longer a geographical united states of america or the 1st peoples of the e book. Catholicism would not instruct a segregation of heaven between Jew and Christian. there is not any coaching of separate parallel heavens one for the Jews and one for the born back Christians. Does this answer your question i ought to pass on at how Christian antiquity considered the dating between peoples of the 1st and new covenants.

Answer 5

Jesus is absolutely necessary to salvation. I am a Catholic, and that is what Catholics believe. There is no salvation except through Jesus. However, some people, through no fault of their own may not have any opportunity to know Jesus. God is still their creator and still loves them. They may be saved if they follow a good path (their conscience tells them what is good) and do whatever is in their heart to do in love. God is love; Jesus is love, ergo they are following Jesus even though they don't actually know him. Generally speaking, though, salvation is through Jesus' death on the cross because of His great love for us. We can never "earn" salvation through good works, but the Bible says "Faith without good works is dead." If we are to follow Jesus we must listen to his words when he calls us to "Love your enemies; do good to those that hate you...etc" We may believe in him, but if we do not have love, we have no salvation.

Answer 6

The simple answer is that Catholics believe that good people go to heaven. There's no complicated doctrine or sources that need to be cited beyond that. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misrepresenting the Church and its teachings. And you don't need to define "good" beyond someone who has lived his life such that when he takes his last dying breath he won't be afraid of what awaits him.

I hope to see you up there friend.

Answer 7

"I see alot of Catholics allude that Jesus isnt necessary for salvation"

was that your doing when you were a Catholic?

no wonder you're an ex-Catholic now. you never understood the Catholic teachings.

we Catholics believe that we are saved by grace alone, so what are you talking about?


edit: we Catholics believe that Jesus' death on the cross opened the grace of salvation to ALL mankind, so we have no idea who goes to hell and who goes to heaven.

Answer 8

well we dont have the power to judge another religions.. only God.. but salvation depends of the faith and the actions..

Answer 9

Catholicism teaches a false gospel of works that leads to eternal hell (Galatians 1:6-9).

The guy above saying "grace alone" is a liar. The official catholic cult catechisms says that "grace" is only achievable by doing works and sacraments.

The fact that that is contrary to the definition of "grace" is lost on catholic cult members.