“God - Family - Country”
 
I was always confused in the teaching that only Catholics can go to heaven.  After listening to  Fr. Rick Poblocki on The Stations of the Cross Catholic Radio Network, I think I finally understand it. 
 
Father Rick stated, “God desires that all people be saved - even those ‘outside’ the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church is the presupposition for those ‘outside’ the Catholic Church to be saved.  This means that if someone knows and understands that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ, then they are obliged to embrace the Faith: ‘He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned’ (Mark 16:16).  This means that Christ made the Catholic Church a necessary means of salvation, and commanded all to enter it, so that a person must be connected with the Church in some way to be saved (Cf. The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism, no. 2, Question 167, p. 80).”
 
Father Rick continued with:  “Persons who are not members of the Catholic Church and non-Christians can be saved, if through no fault of their own they do not know that the Catholic Church is the true Church, and yet, they love God, try to do His Will and follow His commandments - for in this way they are connected with the Church by desire.  Since Christ commands us to ‘make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them all that Christ commanded’ (Matthew 28:19-20), we must pray and direct our efforts to helping all enter the Catholic Church where the fullness of the means of salvation lies.”
 
Something to think about:  are you fulfilling your mission of bringing others to our Church? 
 
Vivat Jesus,
Nick Klepac