MyCatholicSource.com - 'Quick Help' Page: Non-Catholic Visitor Presumes Salvation Outside The Church

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Thanks for you note. Of course, we can't see eye to eye with you on these issues, but we certainly don't doubt your sincerity. If you are interested, we have covered the topic of the necessity of being Catholic here.

We see in Scripture that Christ vested His Church (the Catholic Church – and it alone) with the authority to act in His name...

"Jesus said to him in reply, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'" (Mt. 16:17-19)

Only Peter was given a key – a very clear symbol of authority. Also, note that the Church is called Christ's body in scripture – and Christ cannot have multiple bodies, especially when you consider how Jesus compares his Church to marriage. Obviously this does not permit more than one Church.

Furthermore, those who reject the authority of the Church do so at their own peril. As Scripture says...

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." (Mt. 10:40)

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." (Jn. 13:20)

"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." (Lk. 10:16)

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector." (Mt. 18:17)

Furthermore, not all who call on Christ will be saved, but only those who keep His commands. As Scripture says,

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'" (Mt. 7:21-23)

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed." (Lk. 6:46-49)

"Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 Jn. 2:4)

Note that His commands include...

* Baptism

* Obedience to lawful Church hierarchy

* Worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist

* And others... (for more try here)

Again, we thank you for your note, and we wish you God's blessings.

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