[EllaMinnow]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

[Petronski]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

I don't remember any such teaching either.

[ladylib]

Well I was raised a Catholic and my grandmother (Catholic) who married a Protestant was under the impression that her husband would not go to heaven. I found that very sad.

She had to get that idea somewhere. It was taught to me when I was a kid by the nuns in Sunday school. I never believed it though and consequently, I never believed much the Catholic Church had to say about anything.

Not a way to win the hearts and minds of young people.

[missyme]

This article taken out of context......Just another article to Ruffles People's feathers!!!

[af_vet_1981]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

What does Hutton Gibson believe ? It is relevant because Mel said “My dad taught me my faith and I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life,” he said, when asked about Hutton’s comments.

[NotQuiteCricket]

http://www.catholic.com/library/Salvation_Outside_the_Church.asp

However, for those who knowingly and deliberately (that is, not out of innocent ignorance) commit the sins of heresy (rejecting divinely revealed doctrine) or schism (separating from the Catholic Church and/or joining a schismatic church), no salvation would be possible until they repented and returned to live in Catholic unity.

[Maximilian]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

A sad reflection on Catholic education. This is absolutely a dogma of the Church: There is no salvation outside the Church. The Catholic Church is the new ark. If you're not in it, you're going to drown, no matter how "nice" you may be.

[CaptainK]

Catholic here, and I was taught this. Do I believe this? No.

[erswts]

I agree with you redlipstick, have been a Catholic from birth, attended Catholic schools all the way thru college and NEVER heard it was church doctrine that non-Catholics could not get to heaven.

[jtminton]

Not to worry, according to the Catholics, just about everybody is going to heaven.

"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; they profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 841, quoting from Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, 16)

[bonfire]

I grew up with boatloads of Catholic's who ALL were taught I was going to hell....ESPECIALLY because I was a Lutheran.

[valiant4thetruth]

I was brought up a "Roman Catholic" and I was told if you were not Catholic you could not go to heaven .I was about 11.
This presented me with a huge theological problem seeing my mother was a Protestant as well as my mothers parents ,about 1/2 my friends.As it turned out that caused me to question everything I was taught ,it rocked my world big time, I began to search for the truth .I ended up getting my first bible from a kid in math class a few years later.Then I really began to learn what was true.I have now been reading the Bible for 36 years .No man can tell me what is true.

[hope]

My husband and his family broke away from Catholicism years ago and they were taught that being catholic is imperative for salvation. But, I have Friends who say that the church has changed from that doctrine in some perishes.

[CobaltBlue]

I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved.

Maybe not in so many words, but you have to attend Mass and participate in the Catholic sacraments in order to be saved. Baptism isn't baptism if it's not from a priest. Confession isn't confession if it's not from a priest. Absolution isn't absolution if it's not from a priest. Communion isn't communion if it's not from a priest. Marriage isn't marriage if it's not from a priest.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

- Were you ever taught that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, never had sexual intercourse after she gave birth to Jesus?
- Were you ever taught that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was without sin?
- Were you ever taught that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a co-redemptrix with Jesus?
-Were you ever taught that the unleaven bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ?

My wife had a strict Catholic upbringing and went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school and she was taught all of this man-made juju and much, much more.

I liken the Catholic church to a ship that is in dire need of some time in dry-dock. Scrape all the barnacles of Catholic tradition off her, sand and paint her hull and she'll be fit to carry trusting passengers again.

[DallasMike]

I am a lifelong Catholic and spent 9 years in Catholic school, and I was never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved. Never.

That used to be the official teaching of the Catholic Church but the teaching has changed. The Unam Sanctum (a papal bull issued by Pope Boniface in 1302), says this:

"With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and we firmly bellieve and simply confess this (Church) outside which there is no salvation nor remission of sin…

"Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff."

Several popes and 3 councils confirmed this papal bull and it was an official Catholic dogma for almost 700 years..

Then along came Vatican Council II (1962-1965) and the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. All of a sudden, the definition of "Christian" included others than just Catholics. In fact, not only did the Catholic Church drop the requirement to be a Catholic, but now Moslems are specifically identified as believers, too:

"15. The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but who do not however profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter. For there are many who hold sacred scripture in honor as a rule of faith and of life, who have a sincere religious zeal, who lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour, who are sealed by baptism which unites them to Christ, and who indeed recognize and receive other sacraments in their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities…

"16. Finally, those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways. There is, first, that people to which the covenants and promises were made, and from which Christ was born according to the flesh (cf. Rom. 9:4-5): in view of the divine choice, they are a people most dear for the sake of the fathers, for the gifts of God are without repentance (cf. Rom. 11:29-29). But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Moslems: these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day. … "

Here is a big example of the Roman Catholic Church effecting a change in matters of faith and morals. What happened in Vatican II wasn't just a clarification of existing dogma -- it was a complete 180° turn.