God rest our Queen

This past week in the land of Borat, Francis made some continuing and daring statements about the church and other religions and whether they were willed by God or permitted by God. His actions then and in the past, are syncretic and potentially heretical. He will not speak with clarity. It is our job as lay Catholics to proclaim the truth with charity and clarity even if those in authority do not. 

Outside the Catholic Church, there is no salvation. It is through Jesus Christ and He alone. He established His Church for the salvation of souls. All people must come to the Church to be saved. if those who do not come are saved it is only through the Church and that is up to God Almighty Himself. 

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a baptized Christian, she was in essence, a Catholic at that time. One Faith. One Church. One Baptism. Yet, over her life, she did not continue and was not only a Protestant but was the head of a Protestant ecclesial community using land and buildings stolen from the historic Catholic Church of England. 

The Church teaches what is true. What is true is what I wrote in the second paragraph. At the same time, we leave up to God the souls of those who are not Catholic and not even Christian. I have no doubt that when some Catholics die they will be surprised to find themselves in Hell (Lord forbid it to be me) and equally surprised by some who are in purgatory or heaven. 

Can a non-baptized or non-Catholic be admitted to heaven? 

This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. (CCC 847)

All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery. Gaudium et spes (22) 

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (CCC 846)

Invincible ignorance reduces culpability. Natural law can allow one to find God. If one does not find God and His Salvation in Christ through no fault of their own before death, the Church teaches that they might be/can be saved. That is up to God. For a baptized Christian/Catholic, such as Elizabeth II, it may be more unclear. That being said. Our job is not to condemn our late Queen to Hell. Our job is to pray that in spite of her errors and personal sin, God will show her mercy and save her soul. As for Her late Majesty or King Charles III leading the Church of England back to Rome, it is a legal impossibility according to current law. It won't be a King of England that restores England to the Church. It won't be Charles III that makes England Catholic. It will be a Holy Pope in Rome that preach with truth and clarity and the grace of the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of all. Pray for that and pray for Elizabeth, Regina; rather than condemning her to Hell. 

Eternal rest, grant O Lord unto Elizabeth Regina and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen

Thank you, Ma'am. May eternal light shine upon you. May you rest in peace. Amen.

 

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,

entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:

the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,

that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,

the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country I've heard of long ago,

most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;

her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;

and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.