The Great Apostasy Brochure, Part 1

Recently, I received a pamphlet after mass regarding the validity of Vatican II and the Popes who called and followed that council. The gentlemen handing them out in front of the main doors calmly said "Did you know Vatican II has been condemned by the Catholic Church?" and walked away.

Below, I will address the points made in the brochure, and hopefully maintain the truth that has always been constant in the Catholic Church.

Non-Catholic Religions are a means to Salvation.

The quotes provided, unfortunately, are blatantly taken out of context. It's unfortunate, in continued attempts to show how contradictory Vatican II and the popes are, quotes are skewed, paraphrased, underlined, capitalized and bolded as if the true meaning is hidden, and unless this is shown through special formatting, we cannot see it.

For example...

Pope Leo XII, Satis Cognitum: "9. The Church alone...supplies those means of salvation"

What means of salvation? All means of salvation? Why would we not be provided the entirety of the quote? Let's assume it was for the purpose of saving space, as there is only so much room on the pamphlet.

The quote in its entirety is as follows:

It is then undoubtedly the office of the church to guard Christian doctrine and to propagate it in its integrity and purity. But this is not all: the object for which the Church has been instituted is not wholly attained by the performance of this duty. For, since Jesus Christ delivered Himself up for the salvation of the human race, and to this end directed all His teaching and commands, so He ordered the Church to strive, by the truth of its doctrine, to sanctify and to save mankind. But faith alone cannot compass so great, excellent, and important an end. There must needs be also the fitting and devout worship of God, which is to be found chiefly in the divine Sacrifice (The Mass) and in the dispensation of the Sacraments, as well as salutary laws and discipline. All these must be found in the Church, since it continues the mission of the Saviour forever. The Church alone offers to the human race that religion - that state of absolute perfection - which He wished, as it were, to be incorporated in it. And it alone supplies those means of salvation which accord with the ordinary counsels of Providence.

I will allow the reader to read the quote un-cut and unformatted, save for my insertion of "The Mass", as some readers may not know what the divine Sacrifice is.

Now, should we assume that all means of salvation are only present in the Church, or that the ones provided in the context of the paragraph are the ones that the church provides? In either case, this does not contradict Vatican II and its statement that 'the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as a means of salvation.'

Satis Cognitum in no place declares that the only place a means of salvation could exist is the Catholic Church. It does not state the Church contains 'all' and 'exclusively' every means of salvation.

Let us look at a practical example:

A Protestant church uses a billboard sign to say that 'Jesus Saves', with the picture of Jesus as a goalie. Now, Joe Blow drives by in his automobile and sees said sign. After reading said sign, he goes to his Islam friend and asks what this means. This man states, ' In Christianity, the prime belief is that faith in Jesus Christ brings eternal salvation, and no other way for eternal life is possible. We revere Jesus as a great prophet, but nothing more'. Joe Blow thanks his friend, and carries on. In turn, he meets an Atheist who runs a book store, and buys a book written by a Baptist pastor... etc. etc....

Finally, Joe Blow asks his father, a staunch traditional catholic, who promptly points him to a catholic priest who in turn teaches him how to obtain salvation. Joe Blow carries on to be brought into the Catholic fold.

What means of salvation are there in this story, and are they all Catholic sources? First off, what is a 'means'?

Means

1. Usually, means. (used with a singular or plural verb) an agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end: The telephone is a means of communication. There are several means of solving the problem.
2. means,
a. available resources, esp. money: They lived beyond their means.
b. considerable financial resources; riches: a man of means.

www.dictionary.com

I would say than, for the salvation of this man, should he continue in good faith and practice wholeheartedly his faith, several things were instrumental, and could be considered a 'means'.

First, the Protestant Sign.

Secondly, the Islam and his explanation.

The Atheist, and the book he sold.

Would these not be means by which a man came to salvation? Singularly, they are not enough, no one would deny that. However, they began the journey, and to say they had no importance would be ingnorant.

Now, those who would attempt to convince us of the contradiction of Vatican II and Satis Cognitum would have us believe that the Catholic church alone supplies those means. Indeed, the quote they provided say's as much.

Pope Leo XII, Satis Cognitum: "9. The Church alone...supplies those means of salvation"

But, in context, what means is Satis Cognitum speaking about? The encyclical clearly points to several things. They are the divine Sacrifice, the Sacraments, as well as salutary laws and discipline. It could allude to more, but says nothing definite, and if the document meant more, we have no way of truly knowing, save for the interpretation of a continuing, valid church.

Now, if my understanding is invalid, and I am wrong on some point, who is there to make the final call. Who has the final decision?

I would think, theologically, my reasoning is sound. It reconciles the Council with the Encyclical, and maintains the truth the catholic church has taught.