Comments on de cura animarum: Counting the Saved

EXTREMELY helpful article. Thank you.

2008-07-21T03:07:00.000+01:00

EXTREMELY helpful article. Thank you.

ps to the above...for the pessimistic numbers of s...

2008-02-25T20:40:00.000Z

ps to the above...for the pessimistic numbers of saints, we have the actual Bible which is above any saint's opinion:

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

I suspect Benedict as to the majority could be thi...

2008-02-25T16:44:00.000Z

I suspect Benedict as to the majority could be thinking of John's epsitle where it notes: "He who loves is of God". The passage can be overstretched by liberals but can be just as undervalued by conservatives.
I noticed on several blogs, dissenting theologians are linked with hell. This is the pharisaical side of Catholic trenchants that loves this topic...."let's get my enemies with this topic of hell" even though Sirach..God's word...and only in the Catholic bible says:
"It is easy in an instant for the Lord to make a poor man rich."
...the spiritual level of that is not about money but grace and says that God can save a dissenting theologian if he really is such as to de fide or infallible dogma... in the last seconds of his life. In non infallible areas, the Church imprimaturs Moral Theology tomes like Grisez's "Way of the Lord Jesus" for seminaries that allow an exceptions to LG 25's religious submission passage when there is study,counsel,prayer etc. That is why Rome has not denounced certain writers that Catholic laity denounce easily.

Very good series - Thank You. I agree it is rathe...

2008-02-23T02:25:00.000Z

Very good series - Thank You. I agree it is rather foolish at best and dangerous at worst to speculate on numbers of saved vs damned. It's also totally useless to compare ourselves to others in this life as we have not the least bit of qualifications to do so.

We believe or ascent that God alone judges with perfect justice and mercy; so why not leave it up to Him (or are we engaging in a constant second guessing or criticism of his perfect judgement).

Love God and neighbor, trust in God's desire for our salvation, and depend on his providence and we are less apt to 'fret' over our own salvation. If I think of this at all I usually say...'I accept God's judgement completely; including his judgement of me.'

I am reminded of a sermon by St. Leonard of Port M...

2008-02-18T16:33:00.000Z

I am reminded of a sermon by St. Leonard of Port Maurice (http://www.olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml), particularly the following excerpt:

"Brothers, I want to send all of you away comforted today. So if you ask me my sentiment on the number of those who are saved, here it is: Whether there are many or few that are saved, I say that whoever wants to be saved, will be saved; and that no one can be damned if he does not want to be. And if it is true that few are saved, it is because there are few who live well. As for the rest, compare these two opinions: the first one states that the greater number of Catholics are condemned; the second one, on the contrary, pretends that the greater number of Catholics are saved. Imagine an Angel sent by God to confirm the first opinion, coming to tell you that not only are most Catholics damned, but that of all this assembly present here, one alone will be saved. If you obey the Commandments of God, if you detest the corruption of this world, if you embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ in a spirit of penance, you will be that one alone who is saved.

Now imagine the same Angel returning to you and confirming the second opinion. He tells you that not only are the greater portion of Catholics saved, but that out of all this gathering, one alone will be damned and all the others saved. If after that, you continue your usuries, your vengeances, your criminal deeds, your impurities, then you will be that one alone who is damned.

What is the use of knowing whether few or many are saved? Saint Peter says to us, "Strive by good works to make your election sure." When Saint Thomas Aquinas's sister asked him what she must do to go to heaven, he said, "You will be saved if you want to be." I say the same thing to you, and here is proof of my declaration. No one is damned unless he commits mortal sin: that is of faith. And no one commits mortal sin unless he wants to: that is an undeniable theological proposition. Therefore, no one goes to hell unless he wants to; the consequence is obvious. Does that not suffice to comfort you? Weep over past sins, make a good confession, sin no more in the future, and you will all be saved. Why torment yourself so? For it is certain that you have to commit mortal sin to go to hell, and that to commit mortal sin you must want to, and that consequently no one goes to hell unless he wants to. That is not just an opinion, it is an undeniable and very comforting truth; may God give you to understand it, and may He bless you. Amen."

Agreeing that the rhetoric of "who is saved/not sa...

2008-02-17T00:55:00.000Z

Agreeing that the rhetoric of "who is saved/not saved" is just too treacherous, no matter what the motive or point. Add to this the testimony of many saints that truly seeing God awakes one to his own depths of existential unworthiness, delusion, and rot that were previously not even imagined; and no one should dare estimate anyone including himself.

I seldom think about Hell, preferring to fill my t...

2008-02-16T19:22:00.000Z

I seldom think about Hell, preferring to fill my thoughts with heaven. Hell became a heated topic in my RCIA class; I was surprised to find how many took great comfort in Hell being crowded. I take my comfort in the church’s teaching that God predestines no one to hell, and that the church places no one by name there.