Clear and Present Danger

Clear and Present Danger

The Catholic Church always has maintained that there is "no salvation outside the Catholic Church". The reason for this is very significant and very scary. It is not because of some manufactured ploy to gain more donations. Nor is it for the Church to try to artificially maintain its numbers or for pride in maintaining an elite status. No, the reason is what it should be: The Catholic Church fears for the eternal loss of every soul that does not belong to Her.

Every soul receives sufficient Grace to be saved. Those that are validly baptized but are not Catholic, per se, can still be saved. Such as infants and children who have not yet reached the age of reason. This is because they are members of the Church of God after they are baptized and since there is only one Church of God and since it is one and the same as the Catholic Church, they are technically Catholic, at least until they are old enough to sin. A very small number from this point on are saved that have never committed a mortal sin and thus have maintained their baptismal innocence throughout life. Still others may be saved by additional extraordinary Grace of God.

Those remaining are in very grave danger, due in fact to having committed Mortal Sin. Since there are no priests or no valid sacraments outside of the Catholic Church, there is no way that Mortal Sin can be forgiven. Mortal Sin removes Sanctifying Grace and suspends the merits of good works. It separates the soul from God and if in that state when the body dies, the soul with one Mortal Sin will spend eternity in the fire of Hell.

This is a terrible, unfortunate and unnecessary loss. There is nothing that these poor souls can do to repair the damage done to God which would allow them to avoid the Just Punishment. None of their offerings, sacrifices or charities are efficacious. Unless of course, that is, they find the Catholic Church in time and embrace Her. This is the circumstance that so many millions, and probably billions, of lost souls will find themselves in. There is nothing that has been or ever could be conceived by man that could be more tragic. It is why there is so much joy in Heaven for those that have fallen and returned to the flock. It is also why the Catholic Church never ceases to point out the disastrous ways of atheists, sinners, heretics, schismatics, apostates and unbelievers. She pleads for their return and conformity to the Will of God. She strives to maintain Her flock and prevent them from going astray.

This is also the great sadness for those in the Vatican II Church. There are many "conservative" people in this false church, who for one reason or another remain attached to it. Mostly it is the older Catholics who had some true Catholic instruction, but not enough, either by their own weakness or that of the Priests in those last years. Nevertheless these people still know what Mortal sin is. It is very true that it is very difficult to avoid Mortal Sin in these times and especially with the guidance of that church. But the great tragedy is that these people think that their Mortal Sins are absolved when they go to "Reconciliation", when it is almost a guarantee that they are not. It takes Catholic priests, with Catholic intentions, using Catholic matter and methods, to affect valid sacraments. The expectation of the penitent does not make the sacrament of Confession happen. With all of the doubtful intentions and all of the changes in these new sacraments there is real cause for great concern in a very grave matter. Namely that no absolution is occurring and that these people's souls remain with Mortal Sin on them. A perfect Act of Contrition will protect the soul until Confession can be had and God will know if they had an opportunity for a valid Sacrament but ignored it.