St. Alphonsus
rejected the idea of salvation for the invincibly ignorant
By Bro. Peter Dimond,
O.S.B.
Here
is an important quote that I’m just now getting around to citing on our
website. This important quote absolutely
proves that St. Alphonsus, like all the Doctors of the Church, rejected the
false idea that souls who are “invincibly ignorant” of the essential mysteries
of the Catholic Faith can be saved.
St. Alphonsus, quoted in
Fr. Michael Muller’s The Catholic Dogma:
“‘Some theologians hold that the
belief of the two other articles - the Incarnation of the Son of God, and the
Trinity of Persons - is strictly commanded but not necessary, as a means
without which salvation is impossible; so that a person inculpably ignorant
of them may be saved. But according
to the more common and truer opinion, the explicit belief of these articles is
necessary as a means without which no adult can be saved.’ (First
Command. No. 8.).”
Notice
that St. Alphonsus is explicitly discussing the concept of invincible
ignorance. He is explicitly addressing
the question of whether souls who are “inculpably ignorant” of Our Lord and the
Trinity can be saved, AND HE DENIES IT.
He affirms that only those who believe in these absolutely necessary
mysteries of Catholic Faith (the Trinity and Incarnation) can be saved. This is a very important quotation because
the heretical idea that souls can be saved in other religions is rampant in
Traditional circles, and is taught by the SSPX, SSPV, CMRI, etc. These groups teach the false and heretical
idea that explicit belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation is not necessary
as a means without which no adult can be saved.
St. Alphonsus: “See also
the special love which God has shown you in bringing you into life in a
Christian country, and in the bosom of the Catholic or true Church. How many are born among the pagans, among
the Jews, among the Mohometans and heretics, and all are lost.”Sermons
of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Tan Books, 1982, p. 219.)
[…to
be continued, as time permits]