To my brothers and sisters in Christ who are separated from the Church. I love you and more importantly Jesus loves you. Your faith is great and you do powerful works. But there is a difference between the Catholic Church and the other churches. The Church still maintains there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. “Dominus Iesus” the document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was clear on this subject.

The Catholic Church was established by Christ not by Luther or any later theologians. This is a fact that, even anti-Catholic secular historians will acknowledge. I am not trying to put down anybody’s faith in any means. If I may use an analogy this is how to understand the above statement. Christ established the Catholic Church for the salvation of the world under the guidance of Peter.1 The will of Christ is that all would be united into one fold, one family, one body, one Church.

This is like Jesus creating a ship especially for that purpose.2 In the 16th century the ship was in real bad shape and Luther decided he would jump ship into a lifeboat. He should not have done that. He should have stayed in Christ’s ship, trust that the gates of Hell would not prevail3 and helped repair it with the help and grace of God. Instead the reformers did not reform anything they split. 4 I am not passing judgment on anyone’s salvation, not Luther’s nor anyone else’s. Like Fr. Mitch Pacwa 5 says that’s a management issue (God’s job), I am only in sales (witnessing).

As far salvation is concerned, Catholics who are hanging overboard off the Catholic ship or those who are walking the plank are in more danger of death than a Protestant brother who is solidly centered in his small lifeboat.6 I am grateful to the Protestants who save the Catholics who have fallen overboard. Nonetheless this does not change the fact that only the Catholic Church was established by Christ and was intended to be the only ship to take us safely to haven.7 Jesus’s prayer is still that we may be reunited as one because He and the Father are one.8

NOTES1 Joh 21:16 - He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Act 15:7 - And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

2 The metaphor is appropriate. Think of Noah’s Ark and Peter the fisherman. (1 Peter 3:20-21)

3 Mat 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

4 The pun is intended to stress the point.

5 EWTN Live http://ewtn.com/podcast/index.asp

6 The Bible uses the sea as a metaphor for a place of great danger. In those days they did not have the kind of ships we have today and they never ventured in high seas because they did not have compasses and sextants.

7 No, it’s not misspelled, it’s another intended pun to stress the point.

8 Joh 17:11 - And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are one.