What does MHFM believe on salvation and baptism issue?

You have correctly ascertained that we don’t agree with the Conciliar Church (the Vatican II/Novus Ordo sect).  The Conciliar Church is not the Catholic Church, but a non-Catholic sect which rejects the Catholic Faith and Jesus Christ by endorsing heretical sects, schismatic sects, as well as idolatrous and pagan religions.  Regarding what we believe on the salvation issue, you are also correct that we don’t believe with the SSPX, SSPV and CMRI that it is not necessary to have the Catholic Faith for salvation.  We don’t believe, as they do, that certain Buddhists, Jews, Muslims or Hindus can be united to the Catholic Church.  We believe, profess and preach that all who die as non-Catholics will not be saved, as the Holy Roman Church believes, professes and preaches.

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 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 productive of 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.”

We believe the above dogma rather than the fallible – and heretical – Baltimore Catechism which represented the seeds of the Great Apostasy with its teaching that there is salvation outside the Church.

The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism, No. 2, Q. 321- “However, only baptism of water actually makes a person a member of the Church.  It (baptism of blood/desire) might be compared to a ladder up which one climbs into the Bark of Peter, as the Church is often called.  Baptism of blood or desire makes a person a member of the Church in desire.  These are the two lifelines trailing from the sides of the Church to save those who are outside the Church through no fault of their own.”

Here we see this edition of the Baltimore Catechism teaching that: 1) Baptism of desire doesn’t make one a member of the Church; 2) Baptism of desire does make one a member of the Church in desire; 3) there is salvation outside the Church by baptism of desire and blood. The first two statements contradict each other, while the third is direct heresy against the dogma that Outside the Church no one at all is saved (Pope Innocent III, de fide).  Thus, this edition of the Baltimore Catechism’s explanation of “baptism of desire” is not only fallible, but directly heretical.

Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, Constitution 1, 1215, ex cathedra: “There is indeed one universal Church of the faithful, outside of which nobody at all is saved, in which Jesus Christ is both priest and sacrifice.”

No, we don’t believe, but absolutely reject, the pre-Vatican II heresy that certain people can be saved outside the Church and without the Catholic Faith.  This heresy was taught by many priests and Bishops before Vatican II in fallible texts with imprimaturs, which laid the heretical foundation for the Great Apostasy.  For instance:

The Catechism Explained, Rev. Spirago and Rev. Clark, 1898: “If, however, a man, through no fault of his own, remains outside the Church, he may be saved if he lead a God-fearing life; for such a one is to all intents and purposes a member of the Catholic Church.” Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, by Ludwig Ott, Imprimatur 1954, p. 310: “The necessity for belonging to the Church is not merely a necessity of precept, but also of means, as the comparison with the Ark, the means of salvation from the biblical flood, plainly shows… In special circumstances, namely, in the case of invincible ignorance or of incapability, actual membership of the Church can be replaced by the desire for the same… In this manner also those who are in point of fact outside the Catholic Church can achieve salvation.”

Both of these statements are boldly heretical – they word-for-word contradict a solemnly defined dogma – and they reduce the solemnly defined dogma Outside the Church There is No Salvation to a meaningless formula.

Pope Pius XII, Humani Generis (#27), 1950: “Some say they are not bound by the doctrine, explained in Our Encyclical Letter of a few years ago, and based on the sources of revelation, which teaches that the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same.  Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation.”

No, we hold what the Church has dogmatically declared: that all who die without the Catholic Faith will be lost. 

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 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.”

Regarding the baptism issue, the Catholic Church doesn’t teach that there are “three baptisms.”  It dogmatically teaches that there is only ONE BAPTISM OF WATER.  And WE BELIEVE, AS THE COUNCIL OF VIENNE DOGMATICALLY DEFINES, THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE BAPTISM OF WATER, not three.  The Catholic Church also teaches that unless a person receives this sacrament and is born again of water and the Spirit he cannot be saved.

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.” Pope Paul III, The Council of Trent, Sess. 7, Can. 5 on the Sacrament of Baptism, ex cathedra: “If anyone says that baptism [the Sacrament] is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation (cf. Jn. 3:5): let him be anathema.” Pope Eugene IV, The Council of Florence, “Exultate Deo,” Nov. 22, 1439, ex cathedra:  “Holy baptism, which is the gateway to the spiritual life, holds the first place among all the sacraments; through it we are made members of Christ and of the body of the Church.  And since death entered the universe through the first man, ‘unless we are born again of water and the Spirit, we cannot,’ as the Truth says, ‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ [John 3:5].  The matter of this sacrament is real and natural water.”

Even the Baltimore Catechism affirms this truth, even though it doesn’t remain consistent with it throughout its teaching

The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism, No. 2, Q. 320- “Why is Baptism necessary for the salvation of all men?  A.  Baptism is necessary for the salvation of all men because Christ has said: ‘Unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’”

The idea that any man can be saved without the Sacrament of Baptism is false and contradicts Catholic teaching.  But the gross heresy that baptism of desire not only can save unbaptized catechumens who assent to Catholic teaching (an error held by certain saints), but persons who don’t even desire baptism or believe in Jesus Christ (frequently referred to as the “implicit baptism of desire”), was the root cause of the Great Apostasy.  The fact that this heresy on salvation for non-Catholics who don’t even desire baptism or believe in Christ was taught in many pre-Vatican II imprimatured texts, and therefore “to generations of Catholics” since approximately 1900, is exactly why Vatican II occurred and the present man who claims to be “Pope” is able to travel to a Synagogue and be accepted by most professing to be “Catholic.”  Those who cannot see that the root cause of the present apostasy from the Catholic Faith is the teaching that it’s possible for people who are not in fact Catholic to be saved are missing the point.  All of these issues are covered in detail in the book: Outside the Catholic Church There is Absolutely No Salvation