Question:
Answer:
Catholics believes that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God (Jn. 3:16-17) who came to earth to redeem mankind by offering Himself through his one Sacrifice of Calvary. Catholics also believe that Jesus established the Church, the restored and new Israel, as his instrument of salvation, and so the Church mediates Christ’s saving grace gained through his one Sacrifice, and does so primarily through the seven sacraments Jesus instituted. To partake of that salvation, one must become and remain a disciple of Jesus in his Catholic Church.
Consequently, one must not simply believe in Catholicism to be saved, one must assent to it, by entering into full communion with the Church, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) affirms, citing Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium): “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, footnote omitted).
Regarding whether someone would be gravely culpable for not entering or remaining in the Church, the conditions for mortal sin would apply (see CCC 1857-61), and only God can definitively answer whether an individual has died in a state of mortal sin.
Regarding the salvation of non-Catholics, see CCC 846-48.
Finally, for more on the Catholic Church as Jesus’ instrument of salvation, see our tract “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth.”