According to the Catholic Church do Muslims go to Heaven?

20wldct · #1 Feb 29, '12, 6:12 pm

I have a Muslim friend who asked me this today, and I didn't really know the answer...

The question stands for members of any faith outside the Church, or can ONLY Catholics and those in communion with the Church go to Heaven?

Is there any other path?

Zekariya · #2 Feb 29, '12, 6:18 pm

The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church:

845
To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood.
"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846
How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

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.

847
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.

848
"Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."

Art321 · #3 Feb 29, '12, 6:19 pm

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Quote:

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."

"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

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.

847 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.

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."

Hope this helps.

Not Sure · #4 Feb 29, '12, 6:20 pm

Taking Jesus solely on his word, and the repeated teachings of the Church. No, Muslims do not go to heaven.
"Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly." beginning of the Athanasian Creed.

Pray for him.

Art321 · #5 Feb 29, '12, 6:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zekariya

The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church:

Ohh, you beat me to it!

Zekariya · #6 Feb 29, '12, 6:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art321

Ohh, you beat me to it!

Catholic minds think alike.

Art321 · #7 Feb 29, '12, 6:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zekariya

Catholic minds think alike.

20wldct · #8 Feb 29, '12, 6:51 pm

Awesome. Thanks guys!

Zekariya · #9 Feb 29, '12, 6:53 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20wldct

Awesome. Thanks guys!

No problem! We are all brethren of the Catholic Church. We have got to stick together.

Not Sure · #10 Mar 1, '12, 12:30 pm

What about the first words of the Athanasian creed: In order to be saved, one must have the Catholic faith.

If anything, I have heard the explanation of invincible ignorance (the theory of how non-catholics can get to heaven) this way, if you know of the Catholic Church, and refuse to enter, you will not be saved. If you are in it, and decide to leave, you will not be saved.

The theoretical Indian,who never hears of the Church (a number that is getting less and less every day), would still have to live a life without mortal sin, in order to be saved. THere are no longer entire continents that have not heard of the Church, invincible ignorance is becoming more insignificant.

Muslims, most likely, have heard of the Catholic Church. Especially if they are no longer living in a Completely Muslim country. A Muslim who is born in the US, for example, probably cannot claim Invincible Ignorance in the last day.

Daralharb · #11 Mar 1, '12, 12:43 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not Sure

What about the first words of the Athanasian creed: In order to be saved, one must have the Catholic faith.

If anything, I have heard the explanation of invincible ignorance (the theory of how non-catholics can get to heaven) this way, if you know of the Catholic Church, and refuse to enter, you will not be saved. If you are in it, and decide to leave, you will not be saved.

The theoretical Indian,who never hears of the Church (a number that is getting less and less every day), would still have to live a life without mortal sin, in order to be saved. THere are no longer entire continents that have not heard of the Church, invincible ignorance is becoming more insignificant.

Muslims, most likely, have heard of the Catholic Church. Especially if they are no longer living in a Completely Muslim country. A Muslim who is born in the US, for example, probably cannot claim Invincible Ignorance in the last day.

kch86 · #12 Mar 1, '12, 12:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not Sure

What about the first words of the Athanasian creed: In order to be saved, one must have the Catholic faith.

If anything, I have heard the explanation of invincible ignorance (the theory of how non-catholics can get to heaven) this way, if you know of the Catholic Church, and refuse to enter, you will not be saved. If you are in it, and decide to leave, you will not be saved.

The theoretical Indian,who never hears of the Church (a number that is getting less and less every day), would still have to live a life without mortal sin, in order to be saved. THere are no longer entire continents that have not heard of the Church, invincible ignorance is becoming more insignificant.

Muslims, most likely, have heard of the Catholic Church. Especially if they are no longer living in a Completely Muslim country. A Muslim who is born in the US, for example, probably cannot claim Invincible Ignorance in the last day.

Muslims have been misled about the nature of Christianity in the Qur'an. If, not through their own fault, they are unable to see through the veil of deception, they cannot be held accountable for rejecting the Catholic faith. They can be held accountable for not following God's will, as they are able to see an imperfect reflection of it in their Islamic faith and in their conscience, where through grace He reveals it to them.

God saves through the grace He gives in the sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church, but He is in no way limited and can save whoever accepts His grace, regardless of faith.

It is obviously difficult to be saved in a faith that misleads its followers about the true nature of God, but God will certainly look more kindly on any humble Muslim who would in a heartbeat have accepted His revelation had he not been misled than on a Catholic who had the True Faith but neglected or rejected it.

Eric Hyom · #13 Mar 1, '12, 2:14 pm

Quote:

From the Catechism,

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."

Does this say that Muslims will not achieve salvation

Bezant · #14 Mar 1, '12, 2:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20wldct

I have a Muslim friend who asked me this today, and I didn't really know the answer...

The question stands for members of any faith outside the Church, or can ONLY Catholics and those in communion with the Church go to Heaven?

Is there any other path?

In a nutshell, yes, good Muslims can go to heaven (don't let anyone tell you otherwise) but the path to salvation for them is more difficult than it is for good Catholics.

**Holly3278** · #15 Mar 1, '12, 3:43 pm

Muslims can go to Heaven but if they have heard the Gospel and reject it then I think they are also rejecting salvation through the Catholic Church. That said, many Muslims have heard the Gospel but I am sure there are many others who have not heard the Gospel. That said, the Koran deceives Muslims about Jesus and the Trinity and so any Muslim who has been deceived in this manner can't really be held accountable for the deception of this book called the Koran which claims to be the literal words of God but actually is not. That said, if a Muslim is invincibly ignorant and would have accepted the Gospel had he heard it, then he may be able to be saved.