For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.—St. John 3:17.>Perhaps the most debated dogma within the Catholic Church today is the teaching that “outside the Church there is no salvation.” In Latin, that is Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus (EENS.) Even though I’m no huge fan of the new Catechism, even that CCC has a whole section titled “outside the Church there is no salvation,” in which the ancient teaching is upheld (albeit with excessive nuances) beginning in CCC 845. Of course, 19 centuries of real teaching of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus was exponentially stronger.>But today, I find the two groups of solid Christians who either promote or oppose Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus (EENS) have the same warped idea of what it means. Let me give the analogy I created: Imagine the Catholic Church as an ocean-liner or cruise ship. Jesus is walking around the outside balcony or the veranda of the enormous cruise liner, checking everyone’s tickets to see if he or she is a card-carrying member of the Catholic Church. If the guest has such a ticket, he is saved. If not, well, Christ throws you into the ocean.

Originally published in Padre Peregrino. Read original article