As someone who is in the process of converting to Catholicism from Protestantism, I am floored by the many lies I've believed unknowingly throughout my life. My parents and I are entering into the Catholic Church next Easter season (Praise God), but I still wonder about the quotes from Saint Augustine that says, "No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside it one can have everything except salvation."
The Catechism teaches that Protestants who don't know the truth about the Catholic Church *may* be saved, but that those who knowingly reject the Catholic Church will not be saved...
...it pains me to think about how many protestants are being deceived.
I agree, such quotes are alarming. One thing to remember is that all baptized Christians are baptized into the Catholic Church, as there is only one Church that exists. They might disobey the lawful authorities, but they belong to the Church. We can be sure many are invincibly ignorant and cooperating with the grace God has given them, which infallibly arcs towards the Catholic faith, but at the same time the Church Fathers remind us to assume the worst that we might call all our brothers and sisters back into the only safe place: communion with God through the Church under St. Peter.
Those who knowingly reject the Catholic Church and communion with St. Peter definitely cannot be saved, as to do so is a mortal sin.
As someone who is in the process of converting to Catholicism from Protestantism, I am floored by the many lies I've believed unknowingly throughout my life. My parents and I are entering into the Catholic Church next Easter season (Praise God), but I still wonder about the quotes from Saint Augustine that says, "No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside it one can have everything except salvation."
The Catechism teaches that Protestants who don't know the truth about the Catholic Church *may* be saved, but that those who knowingly reject the Catholic Church will not be saved...
...it pains me to think about how many protestants are being deceived.
I agree, such quotes are alarming. One thing to remember is that all baptized Christians are baptized into the Catholic Church, as there is only one Church that exists. They might disobey the lawful authorities, but they belong to the Church. We can be sure many are invincibly ignorant and cooperating with the grace God has given them, which infallibly arcs towards the Catholic faith, but at the same time the Church Fathers remind us to assume the worst that we might call all our brothers and sisters back into the only safe place: communion with God through the Church under St. Peter.
Those who knowingly reject the Catholic Church and communion with St. Peter definitely cannot be saved, as to do so is a mortal sin.