I talk about this a good bit. People get tired of repeating themselves and others get tired of hearing the repetition. The thing is, we actually need this repetition. If we don’t continually repeat things, we forget them, or we fall away from the practice.
For example, if you’re into physical fitness like me, you know the constant repetitive practice of physical exercise, while not always exciting, will eventually create a better and more healthy lifestyle. If you will discipline yourself enough, eventually it becomes less of a discipline and more of a lifestyle.
This is one of the reasons liturgical worship is used in the historic Church. The things we repeat are the things that stick in our minds, hearts, souls and bodies (lex orandi, lex credenda). By the way, think about that as it relates to what kind of media you consume on a repetitive basis…

Anyways, repetition. What’s my point, you may ask?

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not but things in our world seem to be in constant flux. Everything changes on a daily basis it seems. Sometimes, it feels like everything changes moment by moment. In this ever-changing and constantly innovating world in which we live, it can feel like there is nothing to hold on to that remains the same. It feels like the whole world has gone mad and taken us for a ride and we just honestly want to make it all stop and hold on to something that’s not moving.

The Church has become like that as well.

In the one entity that should be eternal and unchanging, there has been constant change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we shouldn’t use electricity and have indoor plumbing in our churches. I’m not suggesting we don’t take advantage of advances in technology that can help us. What I am saying is that new is not better when it comes to innovations in the Church. The Church should never adapt to the world and “modern man.” The world should be adapting to the Church.
The Church does not and should not change. Doctrine and dogma do not “develop.” There is a difference in finding new ways to say what has always been said and completely changing what the Church has always said. The Church is eternal and does not change precisely because Her Bridegroom is eternal and does not change. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 13:8,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Because He does not change, the Church should not change.

It’s sad to me that those who wish to innovate the worship of the Church (which indeed changes the theology of the Church) always have such negative things to say about those of us who hold to tradition. We are “rigid” and “creating division.” My response to that is the faith does not change so, in the reasoning of the innovators, the faith must be rigid and create division. I believe it was our Lord Jesus who said, in Matthew 10:34,
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”
Does that mean that Jesus is a quarrelsome guy? No. Rather, His message creates conflict with the world and its so-called values. If we follow Christ as He is to be followed, there will be conflict. Even with others who claim the name of Jesus.

I heard a sermon recently by Fr. Josiah Trenham that has prompted this train of thought and thus this post. In that homily, Fr. Josiah, in talking about our forefathers in the faith who have held fast and unchanging, said this, “Novelty is the soil of heresy.”

Marinate on that for a minute.

That statement reminds me of what we read in Jude 3,
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Even in the 1st century, just a few years after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord, they were already having to remind the faithful to hold fast to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Jude did not say, “It’s cool. I know times have changed so we can do what seems good to us now.” No. He said to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” The faith hasn’t changed and neither should our approach is what he’s saying. Don’t be tempted to novelty and innovation. Don’t be tempted to appease the world.

It’s too easy to fall away. Again, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 2:1 says,
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”
Lest we drift away from the faith once for all delivered to the saints and the things we have heard, remember, “Novelty is the soil of heresy.” The writer of Hebrews again exhorts us in 10:23,
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Hold fast without wavering. Why? Because He who promised is faithful. Christ is faithful. He hasn’t changed a thing. Why should we? Who is it that has changed, us or Him? It ain’t Him.

Why is it that, over and over in the New Testament, the writers talk about holding fast if we aren’t tempted to fall away?
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” – 2 Timothy 1:13-14
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” – 1 Timothy 6:12
Christ, in John’s Apocalypse, tells the church in Sardis (Rev. 3:3),
“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come to you.”
And again, to the church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:11),
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Dear brothers and sisters, God’s Word has not changed. The Son has not changed. The deposit of the faith has not changed. Our charge is to hold fast to the faith once for all delivered to the saints (that’s called Tradition) and not to give in to the impulse to be constantly innovating and changing and trying to make God fit into what we want and are comfortable with. As you seek for His Church, ask yourself this question: “Who has changed and who has not? Who has held fast to the Faith without wavering?” I’m not saying that all churches are perfect. That would be foolish to assume. After all, the Church is made up of you and me and we are imperfect sinners. But, who is that keeps innovating and changing things?

Be wary of those who call good bad and bad good,
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” – Isaiah 5:20
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May we run to His Church, the ark of our salvation and may we remain steadfast, rigid and immovable! If we do that, if we are true to Christ, our Savior and King, then we will have the same joy as St. Paul,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” – 2 Tim. 4:7
 
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!

“Can’t we all just get along?”
Ya’ll remember that? It was a statement made famous by Rodney King after he was brutally beaten (unjustly, I might add) by a bunch of LAPD officers.

I think we do this in the Church sometimes as well. We desperately want everyone to get along. The fact of the matter is that Truth is Truth and the Truth will always divide us. The reason for that is that some embrace Truth and others do not. It’s rather hard to “get along” with those who do not embrace Truth when you do.

I bring this up because of something I heard a priest say recently at Mass. He said that the “Catholic Church has never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved.” Now I know that I’m gonna step on some toes with this post but that’s okay. In the words of my mama, “You can get glad in the same pants you got mad in.”

I feel like this is an issue that I must address. With respect to the priest, he is flat out wrong. The Church has taught that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church on many occasions, for many years. We’ll get into that in a moment, but I just have to say this:
This whole idea of ecumenism is problematic. This idea that we all need to go along to get along is creating more problems than it is solving. The refusal of the modern Catholic Church to stand on the Traditions of the Church is not helping in this idea of “evangelization.” In fact, I say that ecumenism is unloving. If we truly believe (as Catholic Christians) what both Holy Scripture (and Jesus Himself) and Holy Tradition says, then we are actually unloving and damning people to Hell if we don’t proclaim that truth.
The current hierarchy of the Church (and pretty much for the last 50 years or so) seem to be obsessed with not offending anyone, except traditional Catholics. Truth has the tendency to divide. Jesus Himself laid down some hard lines, saying things like ‘you’re either with me or against me’ and other such hard-line things. It’s really only been in the more modern era that we all seem to be scared of standing firm.

So, to the priest on Sunday who said that, and to you, dear reader, let me say unequivocally that the Church has been quite clear on this historically and indeed Holy Scripture is quite clear on this. There is no salvation outside the Church.

Now, we need to unpack that a bit.
Let’s start with Holy Scripture. In the gospel according to St. Mark, chapter 16:15-16 we read,
“And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.”
The “he” here is Christ speaking to the Apostles. So, on its face, this is really clear. Those who believe AND are baptized shall be saved. Those who do not believe are condemned. So, two things are necessary: belief and baptism. Without those two things, you cannot be saved.

Ok, believe what?

Jesus says, in John 14:6,
“Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
First and foremost, we are to believe that Jesus and Jesus alone is the way to the Father. In other words, we must believe that He is God and His life, death, burial and resurrection has saved us from our sins and provided us restoration with God the Father and eternal life in His presence. If we then believe that, what does that mean we are to do? You can’t just believe and do nothing about it. Belief that doesn’t change the way you live is not belief at all. Jesus told His Apostles, in Matthew 28:19,
“Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
We are to believe and be baptized. St. Peter reiterates this in Acts 2:38,
“But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
St. Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 12:13,
“For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink.”
And again, in Ephesians 4:5,
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

So, if we are baptized into Christ (as He commanded), then we are baptized into one body (the Church) and there can be only one as St. Paul reminds us. If Jesus came to build a visible Church (see Matthew 16:18), then it stands to reason that there can only be one Church. As St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:13,
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

No indeed. Christ is not divided. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism. So, if there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism, there is only one Church; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Therefore, to be part of the body of Christ, the Church that He built through His Apostles, means that you must be part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. This is clear from Holy Scripture.

And has the Church Herself taught this? Yes. Over and over and over again.

Origen, Irenaeus, St. Fulgentius, St. Jerome, Venerable Bede, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Peter Canisius, Robert Bellarmine, Pope Pelaguis II, Pope Gregory the Great, Pope Leo XII, Pope Boniface VIII, Pope Pius IX and Pope Pius XI are just a few of the men and Fathers of the Church who have clearly taught and believed this doctrine throughout the history of the Church.
Furthermore, the Fourth Lateran Council, the Council of Florence, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the declaration, Dominus Iesus (from the year 2000), which states,
"…it must be firmly believed that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5), and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door…” all affirm this teaching. So, where this priest, or anyone else, got the idea that the Catholic Church has never taught that you must be Catholic to be saved is quite beyond me.

Now, to talk about the 10,000 lb elephant in the room…Does that mean that Protestants are not saved?
What I can say without equivocation is what I’ve said before. Jesus came to build a visible Church. He did not build many visible churches; He built One Church and commanded us to follow Him within that framework, starting with baptism. Therefore, it follows that those outside the visible Church are not part of the Church and must become part of the Church in order to obtain all the graces of God.
However, that does not mean that God is not merciful. If I may quote Dominus Iesus again,
“…for those who are not formally and visibly members of the Church, salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church, but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is ... communicated by the Holy Spirit; it has a relationship with the Church, which, according to the plan of the Father, has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit."”

A word, if I may, about these statements from Dominus Iesus. For far too long, the Church has equivocated and given vague ambiguity where clarity and precision are due. The word “pastoral” has been thrown around with regularity since Vatican II in the Catholic Church. I feel like Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” To be pastoral does not mean to equivocate and dodge the issue by platitudes and being ambiguity. To be pastoral means that we state the truth, no matter the outcome, because souls are at stake. If we fail to state the truth and preach the truth, we are, in fact, being unloving and, indeed, not pastoral.

I will not equivocate with the truth. There is no salvation outside the Church. As a Protestant convert, I came face to face with that myself, so I won’t now dodge the question. There is no salvation outside the Church. Period. Full stop.

The bottom line is this: The Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, came to earth. He lived, ministered, died, was buried and raised from the dead so that we, by faith in Him, may be restored to relationship with God the Father. Faith in Him demands that we be obedient to His commands, including being part of and submitting to His mystical Body here on earth. That is the Church.
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Rather than see this as confining, let us see this for the grace it is! God has given us a very great gift in the Church. Why wouldn’t we want to be part of the Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church?!
 
Deo gratias!