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Salvation and the Roman Catholic Church by Dr Salvation And The Roman Catholic Church By Dr. Gary M. Gulan ©1978, (Rev. 84,92,95,04) Introduction: Salvation within the Roman Catholic Church is built on a system of grace. Salvation which is referred to as "eternal life" or "divine life" in the Roman Catholic Church's dogma is based on having "sanctifying grace" or "deifying grace." 1 Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace. Sacraments serve as channels through which divine grace reaches the soul of each individual recipient. Grace is obtained through merit (or works). The administration of the sacraments has been given to the Church to which Christ gave complete jurisdiction. The Roman Catholic Church governs over the deposit of truth and the means of sanctification. 2 1. THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE ROMAN CATHOIC CHURCH A. SIN (1.) Original sin (loss of grace) "Scripture portrays the tragic consequences of this first disobedience. Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness...." 3 "...Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents." 4 "The doctrine of original sin is... that all need salvation...." 5 "How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? ...The transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. ...It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind that is, by transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called 'sin' only in an analogical sense: it is a sin 'contracted' and not 'committed,' a state and not an act." 6 (2.) Venial Sin (weakens or wounds sanctifying grace) Venial comes from the Latin "venia" meaning "pardoned or pardonable." Venial sin does not deprive sanctifying grace but impedes spiritual progress. Venial sins are sometimes called "daily sins." Venial sins are light sins or minor infractions and do not bring eternal punishment. It is not always necessary to confess venial sins in the sacrament of confession to the priest. 7 "Venial sin allows grace to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it." 8 "One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law... but without full knowledge or without complete consent." 9 "Venial sin weakens grace... it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However, venial sin does not break the covenant with God." 10 (3.) Mortal Sin (destroys sanctifying grace) Mortal comes from the Latin meaning "death." Mortal sin causes the supernatural death of the soul. It destroys the soul and "sanctifying grace." Mortal sin is a turning away from God. The Council of Florance stated, the souls of those who depart in actual mortal sin... descend immediately into hell but to undergo punishment of different kinds. 11 "Mortal sin destroys grace in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law...." 12 "Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us, that is, grace, necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation...." 13 "Mortal sin has three conditions: one, grave matter is specified in the Ten Commandments... two, full knowledge, and three, deliberate or complete consent...." 14 B. JUSTIFICATION "The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us 'the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ' and through Baptism." 15 "...Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man." 16 "Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification." 17 "By his good works the justified man really acquires a claim to supernatural reward of God." 18 C. BAPTISM Baptism, the means where a person enters into a state of "sanctifying grace" was called the "laver of regeneration" by the Council of Trent. 19 (1.) Infant Baptism (receives "sanctifying grace") "...The overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination toward evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam's sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the 'death of the soul.' Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin." 20 "Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God.... The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth." 21 "Baptism is the sacrament of faith.... The faith required for Baptism is not perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop...." 22 "The Lord Himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. ...Baptism is necessary for salvation for those whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than baptism.... God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism...." 23 "As regards children who have died without baptism, the Church can only trust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. ...All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism." 24 (2.) Adult Baptism (receives "sanctifying grace") "...Adult baptism is the common practice where the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. The catechumnate (preparation for Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist." 25 "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn [through baptism] nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God." 26 "...The Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation." 27 "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte [the baptized individual] a 'new creature,' an adopted son of God, who has become a 'partaker of the divine nature,' member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit." 28 "The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification.... Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism." 29 "Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ...." 30 Summary: 1. "The Catholic is "being saved" as he or she cooperates with grace. To be 'eternally saved' a Catholic must persevere to the end. In reality, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that no one knows until the "particular judgment" what his or her fate will be. Anyone committing a mortal sin at the last moment, and die in that condition, will be eternally lost." 31 2. Roman Catholic system of salvation is a long unsettling process of works. (1.) Baptism gives "sanctifying grace" which takes care of original sin. (2.) Baptism gives "sanctification" because of the "sanctifying grace." (3.) Baptism's "sanctifying grace" justifies the soul. (4.) During one's life time, of the sacrament of penance re-justifies and reinstates "sanctifying grace." (5.) During one's life time, of the sacraments gives "actual grace" which is a temporary strengthening to help us do the good works needed for salvation. (6.) During one's life time, "indulgences" can be acquired which are special credits that can cancel out temporal punishment of purgatory after death. (7.) During one's life time, "indulgences" can be earned by doing specific acts of piety such as saying the Rosary or performing special acts with a perfect disposition accompanied by reception of the sacrament of confession, holy communion, and prayer for the Pope's intentions (his personal prayer requests). (8.) At death, a Catholic must die in a "state of grace." This means that at the moment of death his soul must be in possession of "sanctifying grace" in order to achieve final perseverance. (9.) At death, if at the particular judgment God finds a person in the state of grace, the individual's ultimate salvation is ensured. Before the person can enter heaven, however, the person may need to make atonement for temporal punishment that was not paid on earth. 32 2. THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT A. Works-salvation Roman Catholic dogma makes numerous statements that the Roman Catholic is not saved by their works alone, but in practice this is not true. "Roman Catholic doctrine, ...speaks of the work of Christ and asserts that without the Atonement of Christ, salvation would be impossible.
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