No salvation outside the Church

The comments are closed back on the St. Joseph's Vanguard blog where we were discussing four reasons to evangelize Protestants. 

But a fellow named mike left a remark addressed to me, which I thought I'd highlight here, because it is hard for people to understand how or why, the Catholic Church apparently taught No Salvation Outside the Church and now teaches that some can be saved outside the Church.  He said:

mikesays:January 13, 2015 at 1:39 amIs it more funny than saying (pre-VaticanII) that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, and then saying (post-VaticanII) that unbelievers and unbaptized babies might have a hope. You hypocrite! You argue that baptism saves you, and then you agree with a church that says others can get in without baptism. Wow! What, is it a mystery?

Well, it would be funny, if it were true.  But it isn't.

In Catholic Church history, the Catholic Church has always defended the baptism of the heretics.  In fact, St. Cyprian of Carthage, although he died a Saint, was at one time excommunicated because he denied that heretic baptism was effective.  Here's an excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Rebaptism of heretics
Tertullian had characteristically argued long before, that heretics have not the same God, the same Christ with Catholics, therefore their baptism is null. The African Church had adopted this view in a council held under a predecessor of Cyprian, Agrippinus, atCarthage. In the East it was also the custom of Cilicia, Cappadocia, and Galatia to rebaptize Montanists who returned to the church. Cyprian's opinion of baptism by heretics was strongly expresses: "Non abluuntur illic homines, sed potius sordidantur, nec purgantur delicta sed immo cumulantur. Non Deo nativitas illa sed diabolo filios generat" (Treatise on Unity 11). A certainbishop, Magnus, wrote to ask if the baptism of the Novatians was to be respected (Ep. lxix). Cyprian's answer may be of the year 255; he denies that they are to be distinguished from any otherheretics. Later we find a letter in the same sense, probably of the spring of 255 (autumn, according to d'Ales), from a council under Cyprian of thirty-one bishops (Ep. lxx), addressed to eighteen Numidian bishops; this was apparently the beginning of the controversy. It appears that the bishops of Mauretania did not in this follow the custom of Proconsular Africa and Numidia, and that Pope Stephen sent them a letter approving their adherence to Roman custom.

(Aside:  If you read the article, it goes on to say that St. Cyprian was excommunicated for this.  If he was excommunicated, why is he a saint?  Well, it goes on to explain that he was also martyred.  Anyone who dies for Christ is automatically a Saint.)

This was around the year 250ad.  Notice how Tertullian and many other heavy weights had already argued against the efficacy of heretic baptisms.   So, very early in Catholic Church history, this question was being addressed.   Note how the Pope was defending the efficacy of heretic baptism.  And if we are saved by baptism, then the Church has always admitted that some can be saved outside of the Church.

Therefore, it is not true that this was first taught in Vatican II.  

So, why does the Church say that there is No Salvation Outside the Church?  And yes, it is still a Doctrine of the Church.  Its simple, although apparently, very few people know this.  And it is plainly spoken in Scripture.  The KJV says it the plainest:

Acts 2:47Praising God, and having favour with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The NAB like this:

Acts 2:47

praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

"Their number" is of course, a reference to the Church.  Therefore, all the baptized whether in or outside of the Church, are added to the number of the Church because from the time they are baptized, they are being saved.

Therefore, if you want to get technical about it, there remains no salvation outside the Church, since God adds all who are being saved to the number of the Church.