Dear Doves,I was hoping to add a small clarification about Donna's post above. Jesuit Fr. Jacques Dupuis has been censured by the Vatican for his views on salvation and other religions. He is a very liberal, unorthodox theologian and does not speak for the Church with his views. Here is an excerpt of a news report about his censure:
The Feb. 26 Vatican censure, known as a “notification,” came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The notification lauds Dupuis for raising new questions and for his “attempt to remain within the limit of orthodoxy.” Nevertheless, it cites “notable ambiguities or difficulties” in the book, and lists several points that theologians must uphold. Those points are:
The entire link is: http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/030901/030901h.htm
- Jesus Christ is the “sole and universal mediator of salvation for all humanity”;
- The revelation offered in Jesus offers everything necessary for salvation and has no need of completion by other religions;
- Elements of truth in other religions derive from Jesus;
- The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are not agents of salvation apart from Jesus Christ;
- Different religions are not ways of salvation complementary to the Catholic church;
- Followers of other religions are called to be part of the Catholic church;
- In themselves, other religions are not means of salvation because they “contain omissions, insufficiencies and errors.”
Though apostacy is all around us, just as we expect from the prophecies in the Bible for these end times, it is important not to lump all Catholic theologians or the views of the Catholic Church itself with those of renegade theologians. Many other denominations are struggling with problems related to heretical teachings (eg. homosexual ministers, marriages, etc.).
I ask that this not become a Catholic-Protestant-Evangelical war of posts and want to emphasize my intention of pointing out that Reverand Dupuis does not speak for the Church.
God bless you,
wz