Bishop Bernard Fellay of the SSPX blatantly denies Catholic dogma by teaching that Hindus can be saved

We’ve repeatedly documented that almost all traditionalist priests deny the dogma Outside the Church There is No Salvation.  We’ve also documented that among those dogma deniers, the priests of the SSPX are prominent.  We’ve also pointed out that almost all of these dogma deniers sometimes make statements which seem to indicate that they hold the dogma; when, in fact, they don’t.  All of this was on display in Bishop Bernard Fellay’s recent Conference in Denver, Colorado.  His speech was printed in the recent issue of The Angelus.  Notice that near the beginning of his Conference, Fellay made statements which absolutely seemed to indicate that he holds strictly to the necessity of the Catholic Faith and Jesus Christ for salvation.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, Conference in Denver, Co., Feb. 18, 2006: “So Faith is necessary.  The Church is necessary.  If we want to be saved, there is no other way except for the Church which Jesus has founded.  Between God and creation, there is an infinite gap.  On the side of man, since Original Sin, there is no way to cross this infinite abyss except by the bridge imposed and created by God in His only-begotten Son made flesh, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  There is no other way to go to heaven except Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Lord Jesus Christ wanted to associate with this work of Redemption the souls who would be united with Him, in Him, through Baptism, and which constitute the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church.  What a tremendous mystery.  This is why the Church is as necessary as Jesus; because it is the same reality.” (The Angelus, “A Talk Heard Round the World,” April, 2006, p. 5.)

Very shortly after making these statements, however, Fellay proceeded to deny the dogma and reveal that he doesn’t believe anything he just said.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, Conference in Denver, Co., Feb. 18, 2006: “We know that there are two other baptisms, that of desire and that of blood.  These produce an invisible but real link with Christ but do not produce all of the effects which are received in the baptism of water… And the Church has always taught that you have people who will be in heaven, who are in the state of grace, who have been saved without knowing the Catholic Church.  We know this.  And yet, how is it possible if you cannot be saved outside the Church?  It is absolutely true that they will be saved through the Catholic Church because they will be united to Christ, to the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church.  It will, however, remain invisible, because this visible link is impossible for them.  Consider a Hindu in Tibet who has no knowledge of the Catholic Church.  He lives according to his conscience and to the laws which God has put into his heart.  He can be in the state of grace, and if he dies in this state of grace, he will go to heaven.” (The Angelus, “A Talk Heard Round the World,” April, 2006, p. 5.)

These words are found on the very same page of The Angelus as the words in the first quote above.  This is disgusting and bold heresy, and proves that Fellay doesn’t believe anything he said above.  First, notice that he says “We know that there are two other baptisms.”  Excuse me, but we know that there is ONLY ONE BAPTISM OF WATER.  Catholics confess one baptism.  If you don’t confess only one baptism, you are not a Catholic.

Pope Clement V, Council of Vienne, 1311-1312, ex cathedra:  “Besides, one baptism which regenerates all who are baptized in Christ must be faithfully confessed by all just as ‘one God and one faith’ [Eph. 4:5], which celebrated in waterin the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we believe to be commonly the perfect remedy for salvation for adults as for children.” (Denz. 482)

Second, Fellay says a Hindu – that is, an idolater who worships many false gods and doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ – can be in the state of grace and be saved.  This is a total rejection of infallible Catholic dogma.  This proves again that Bishop Bernard Fellay is not a member of the Catholic Church.  He rejects the solemn teaching that all who die in non-Catholic religions and without the essential mysteries of the Catholic Faith will be lost.  He has changed the dogma that no one can be saved outside the Catholic Church or without the Catholic Faith (the truth that all individuals who die as non-Catholics will be lost, all the Hindus, Muslims, Jews, etc.) to the heretical idea that no one can be saved except through the Catholic Church (meaning that all individuals who are saved, even if they are not Catholic and part of a false religion or even worshipping false gods, are saved in their religions but through the Catholic Church).  This is evil heresy which is contradicted by ex cathedra Papal teaching.  The fact that he holds that Hindus, etc. can be saved in their false religions reveals that he has no Faith.  (By the way, notice that he also teaches the condemned heresy of an invisible Church by teaching that non-Catholic Hindus are invisibly united to the Church.)  The fact that he is guiding a large body of those who consider themselves traditional Catholics in our day is a frightening signal of exactly where we are in history and the Great Apostasy.

We hear all the time from people who deny that their “traditionalist” priest denies the salvation dogma.  “No, my priest doesn’t believe that,” they say about SSPX priests, CMRI priests, SSPV priests, etc.  We try to tell them “yes, your priest does believe that.”  This Heresy of the Week shows us again how priests who deny the salvation dogma will make statements (often in the same speech) which make it seem as if they believe in it.

Pope Gregory XVI, Mirari Vos (# 13), Aug. 15, 1832:  “With the admonition of the apostle, that ‘there is one God, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. 4:5), may those fear who contrive the notion that the safe harbor of salvation is open to persons of any religion whatever.  They should consider the testimony of Christ Himself that ‘those who are not with Christ are against Him,’ (Lk. 11:23) and that they disperse unhappily who do not gather with Him.  Therefore, ‘without a doubt, they will perish forever, unless they hold the Catholic faith whole and inviolate (Athanasian Creed).”

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, The Athanasian Creed, Sess. 8, Nov. 22, 1439, ex cathedra: “Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity.” (Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, Vol. 1, pp. 550-553; Denzinger 39-40.)

Pope Gregory XVI, Summo Iugiter Studio (# 2), May 27, 1832: “Finally some of these misguided people attempt to persuade themselves and others that men are not saved only in the Catholic religion, but that even heretics may attain eternal life.”

Pope Pius IV, Council of Trent, Iniunctum nobis, Nov. 13, 1565, ex cathedra: “This true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved… I now profess and truly hold…” (Denz. 1000)

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, “Cantate Domino,” 1441, ex cathedra: “The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that all those who are outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans but also Jews or heretics and schismatics, cannot share in eternal life and will go into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless they are joined to the Church before the end of their lives; that the unity of this ecclesiastical body is of such importance that only for those who abide in it do the Church’s sacraments contribute to salvation and do fasts, almsgiving and other works of piety and practices of the Christian militia produce eternal rewards; and that nobody can be saved, no matter how much he has given away in alms and even if he has shed blood in the name of Christ, unless he has persevered in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

Bishop Fellay is preaching a new gospel directly contrary to Sacred Scripture.  He is preaching that idolaters (Hindus) can actually be saved.

1 Corinthians 6:9- “Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God?  Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.”