Dear Fr.,I am a new convert (still in RCIA)
who was recently asked about the heretical nature of protestants by my
family (who are all protestants and one pagan). I know that having been
born protestants they are only guilty of material heresy, but, having
been baptized, can they avoid hell and enter purgatory or is there
schismatic faith going to damn them unless they enter the mother
church? I am particularly curious regarding my brother who is ordained
as a priest in the Wiccan tradition. Thanks for taking the time to answer this. Go with God - Daniel
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Material heresy is believing what is heretical
but not knowing it is untrue, whereas Formal heresy is the deliberate
and obstinate belief in known and defined doctrinal errors. Same
applies to schism. One may be in material schism but erroneously think
they are still united to the One True Church. Formal schismatics know,
intend and choose to separate themselves from complete union especially
by repudiating or disobeying the supreme authority of the Roman Pontiff.Most
Protestant Christians TODAY have invincible ignorance, i.e., they do
not realize they were taught heresies or that their denomination is in
schism. Most are in good faith. Only those who KNOW that the Catholic
Church is the one true Church and freely and deliberately choose NOT to
come into full communion are FULLY CULPABLE. Protestant Churches have
SOME truth since they have the Bible (Sacred Scripture) but they do not
have the FULLNESS of truth as is found in the Catholic Church which has
BOTH Sacred Scripture AND Sacred Tradition. Protestant Churches also
have SOME grace as we regard the baptism of mainline Protestant
Christians to be VALID and the marriages (first time, i.e.) of two
baptized Protestants are also considered valid. But only the Catholic
and Orthodox churches have the FULLNESS of grace in that they have ALL
SEVEN SACRAMENTS, especially Holy Orders and Holy Eucharist (which the
Protestant denominations do not have, at least validly) Your
relatives need your PRAYER and your GOOD EXAMPLE. If they act in good
faith, God takes into account what they were taught, how they were
taught, what they knew or did not know, what they could have and should
have known, and why they did or did not embrace the Catholic religion.
Hence, only God judges the eternal destiny of any particular soul. We
must PRAY, give good EXAMPLE and when opportune, TEACH the truth or at
least make it available to them. What is more sad are those
Catholics who knowingly, willingly and deliberately leave the Church
and abandon their religion. They had the fullness of truth and the
fullness of grace and they freely renounced it. They turned their back
on the true Church whereas many good people unknowingly and
unintentionally are not in full communion with the Catholic Church
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. They are protected by the mercy of God
and by their own ignorance. The fallen-away Catholic and especially the
intentional APOSTATE, SCHISMATIC or HERETIC who should know and do
better, has the most CULPABILITY of anyone. |
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