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Has the Pope been giving us to Hope that All will be Saved? Let
us see what the Holy Father has been saying. “Eternal damnation remains a possibility, but we
are not granted, without special divine revelation, the knowledge of whether
or which human beings are effectively involved in it.” (General
Audience — July 28, 1999) “Christ, Redeemer of man, now for ever "clad
in a robe dipped in blood" (Apoc, 19,13), the everlasting, invincible
guarantee of universal salvation.” (Message
Of John Paul II To The Abbess General Of The Order Of The Most Holy Saviour
Of St Bridget) “If the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, is to
convince the world precisely of this "judgment," undoubtedly he
does so to continue Christ's work aimed at universal salvation. We can
therefore conclude that in bearing witness to Christ, the Paraclete is an
assiduous (though invisible) advocate and defender of the work of salvation,
and of all those engaged in this work. He is also the guarantor of the
definitive triumph over sin and over the world subjected to sin, in order to
free it from sin and introduce it into the way of salvation.” (The Holy
Spirit as Advocate; General
Audience — May 24, 1989) “[The Church] is because of all that more
serviceable for her mission of salvation for all: God 'desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.' … Accordingly, what
is in question here is man in all his truth, in his full magnitude. We are
not dealing with the "abstract" man, but the real,
"concrete", "historical" man. We are dealing with
"each" man, for each one is included in the mystery of the
Redemption and with each one Christ has united himself for ever
through this mystery. … The [Second Vatican] Council points out this very fact
when, speaking of that likeness, it recalls that "man is the only
creature on earth that God willed for itself". Man as
"willed" by God, as "chosen" by him from eternity and
called, destined for grace and glory-this is "each" man,
"the most concrete" man, "the most real"; this is man in
all the fullness of the mystery in which he has become a sharer in Jesus
Christ, the mystery in which each one of the four thousand million human
beings living on our planet has become a sharer from the moment he is conceived
beneath the heart of his mother.” (Encyclical Redemptor
Hominis 5, 13) “‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places’ (Eph. 1:3). These words of the Letter to the Ephesians
reveal the eternal design of God the Father, his plan of man's salvation
in Christ. It is a universal plan, which concerns all men and women
created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen. 1:26). Just as all are
included in the creative work of God ‘in the beginning,’ so all are
eternally included in the divine plan of salvation, which is to be completely
revealed, in the ‘fullness of time,’ with the final coming of Christ. In
fact, the God who is the ‘Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’-these are the next
words of the same Letter-‘chose us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in
love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his
will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he freely bestowed on us in
the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace’ (Eph. 1:4-7).”
(Encyclical, Redemptoris
Mater 7:1) “The Church's universal mission is born of faith in Jesus
Christ, as is stated in our Trinitarian profession of faith: "I believe
in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father....
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the
power of the Holy spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was
made man." The redemption event brings salvation to all,
"for each one is included in the mystery of the redemption and with
each one Christ has united himself forever through this mystery."
... Just as "by his incarnation the Son of God united himself in some
sense with every human being," so too "we are obliged to hold that
the Holy Spirit offers everyone the possibility of sharing in the Paschal
Mystery in a manner known to God." God's plan is "to unite all
things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth" (Eph 1:10)…
It is necessary to keep these two truths together, namely, the real
possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind and the necessity of
the Church for salvation... We know, however, that Jesus came to bring
integral salvation, one which embraces the whole person and all mankind,
and opens up the wondrous prospect of divine filiation. Why mission? Because
to us, as to St. Paul, "this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8). Newness of life in him is
the "Good News" for men and women of every age: all are called to
it and destined for it.” (Encyclical, Redemptoris
Missio 4, 6, 9, 11) “In proclaiming the Risen Lord, Christians present the
One who inaugurates a new era of history and announce to the world the
good news of a complete and universal salvation which contains in itself
the pledge of a new world in which pain and injustice will give way to joy
and beauty. At the beginning of a new millennium marked by a clearer
awareness of the universality of salvation and a realization that the
Gospel daily needs to be proclaimed anew, the Synodal Assembly raised an
appeal that our commitment to mission should not be lessened but rather
expanded, through ever more profound missionary cooperation.” (Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
Gregis) “This affirmation of the Savior's
"uniqueness" derives from the Lord's own words. He stated that he
came "to give his own life in ransom for the many" (Mk 10:45), that
is, for humanity, as St. Paul explains when he writes: "One died for
all" (2 Cor 5:14; cf. Rom 5:18). Christ won universal salvation with
the gift of his own life. No other mediator has been established by God
as Savior. The unique value of the sacrifice of the cross must always be
acknowledged in the destiny of every man. … For those, however, who have
not received the Gospel proclamation, as I wrote in the Encyclical
Redemptoris Missio, salvation is accessible in mysterious ways, inasmuch as
divine grace is granted to them by virtue of Christ's redeeming sacrifice,
without external membership in the Church, but nonetheless always in
relation to her (cf. RM 10). It is a mysterious relationship. It is
mysterious for those who receive the grace, because they do not know the
Church and sometimes even outwardly reject her. ... In order to take
effect, saving grace requires acceptance, cooperation, a yes to the divine
gift. This acceptance is, at least implicitly, oriented to Christ and the
Church. ... Religions can exercise a positive influence on the destiny
of those who belong to them and follow their guidance in a sincere spirit.
... The Church does not exist nor does she work for herself, but is at the
service of a humanity called to divine sonship in Christ (cf. RM 19). She
thus exercises an implicit mediation also with regard to those who do not
know the Gospel.” (All Salvation Comes through Christ; General
Audience — May 31, 1995) “Journeying through the centuries, reliving every
day the Sacrifice of the altar, the Church, the People of God, awaits
Christ’s coming in glory. This is proclaimed after the consecration by the
Eucharistic assembly gathered around the altar. Time after time with renewed
faith the Church repeats her desire for the final encounter with the One who
comes to bring his plan of universal salvation to completion.” (Message
Of His Holiness John Paul II For World Mission Sunday 2004 ; "Eucharist
And Mission") “This universal mission of salvation takes on
great importance on the day when the Church commemorates the conversion of St
Paul. Among the Apostles, in fact, Paul himself expresses and fulfils the
Church’s universal mission in a particular way. On the road to Damascus
Christ associates him with the divine plan of universal salvation:
“The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will ... for you will be a
witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-16).”
(Homily
During Mass With His Holiness Aram I As Part Of Week Of Prayer For
Christian Unity; Saturday, 25 Januray 1997) “St. Paul underscored this salvific value in
regard to Christ's obedience. If sin came into the world through an act of
disobedience, universal salvation was obtained by the Redeemer's obedience:
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one
man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rom 5:19).” (Religious
Offer Their Own Wills to God; General
Audience — December 7, 1994) “As we read again in the Council, to achieve universal
salvation, "Christ sent from the Father his Holy Spirit, who was to
carry on inwardly his saving work and prompt the Church to spread out"
(AG 4).” (The Church Is Missionary by Her Nature; General
Audience — April 19, 1995) “Dear Brothers and Sisters, today's Chrism Mass
sees the Christian people in every diocese gathered around their Bishop and
the entire presbyterate. It is a solemn, intensely meaningful celebration
during which the sacred Chrism and the oils of the sick and of the
catechumens are blessed. This rite invites us to contemplate Christ, who put
on our human frailty and made himself the instrument of universal
salvation.” (Chrism Mass Homily
Of John Paul Ii, Vatican Basilica, Holy Thursday, 8 April 2004) “All are invited to "be reconciled to
God" (2 Cor 5:20), to be saved and to work together for universal
salvation, because God "wants all to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4). All
are invited with their personal qualities to work in the Father's
"vineyard," where each one has his own place and his own
recompense. ... For lay people this fruit is specifically their contribution
to transforming the world by grace, and to building a better society. Only
with fidelity to grace can the ways of grace be opened in the world. This
happens when the laity carry out their own family tasks, especially in
raising children. It also involves their own work of service to society at
every level and in every form of involvement for the sake of justice, love
and peace.” (Jesus' Earthly Life Is a Model for the Laity; General
Audience — November 10, 1993) “On the other hand in quoting the beginning of
Psalm 22, which he perhaps continued to recite mentally during the passion,
Jesus did not forget the conclusion which becomes a hymn of liberation and
an announcement of salvation granted to all by God. The experience of
abandonment is therefore a passing pain which gives way to personal liberation
and universal salvation. In Jesus' afflicted soul this perspective
certainly nourished hope, all the more so since he had always
presented his death as a passage to the resurrection as his true
glorification. From this thought his soul took strength and joy in the
knowledge that at the very height of the drama of the cross, the hour of
victory was at hand.” ("My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?";
General
Audience — November 30, 1988) “Whatever the Spirit brings about in human hearts
and in the history of peoples, in cultures and religions serves as a
preparation for the Gospel and can only be understood in reference to Christ,
the Word who took flesh by the power of the Spirit ‘so that as perfectly
human he would save all human beings and sum up all things'. The universal
presence of the Holy Spirit therefore cannot serve as an excuse for a
failure to proclaim Jesus Christ explicitly as the one and only Saviour. On
the contrary, the universal presence of the Holy Spirit is inseparable
from universal salvation in Jesus. The presence of the Spirit in
creation and history points to Jesus Christ in whom creation and history are redeemed
and fulfilled.” (Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation, Ecclesia In Asia, Of The Holy Father John Paul II, On Jesus
Christ The Saviour And His Mission Of Love And Service In Asia: "...That
they may have life, And have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10)) “The fruit of contemplating the "least of
his brothers" is the discovery that every person, although in a way
which is mysterious for us, is in search of God, by whom he or she is
created and loved. His first disciples discovered this: "[Lord],
everyone is searching for you" (Mk 1,37). And the "Greeks", on
behalf of future generations, exclaim: "We wish to see Jesus" (Jn
12,21). Yes, Christ is the true light that illuminates every person
who comes into this world (cf. Jn 1,9): mankind searches for him,
"feeling after him" (Acts 17,27), drawn by an inner attraction the
origin of which they themselves do not know. It is hidden in the heart of
God, where there beats a desire for universal salvation. Of this, God makes
us witnesses and heralds. For this purpose he fills us, like in a new
Pentecost, with the fire of his Spirit, with his love and with his presence:
"I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28,20).” (The
Holy Father's Message
For World Mission Sunday 2001, Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo (Ps
89[88],2) [I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever].) Not by him but for him:
“From the death of Christ new life flowers, memory and message of an
undying hope: universal salvation.” (Stations Of The Cross At The
Colosseum In
The Presence Of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Good Friday 2002) “My dear Brother Bishops, as you make your way
back to your local Churches, I ask God to strengthen you in your commitment
to a renewed integral evangelization, in your efforts to "present the
One who inaugurates a new era of history and announce to the world the
good news of a complete and universal salvation which contains in itself
the pledge of a new world in which pain and injustice will give way to joy
and beauty" (Pastores Gregis¸ 65).” (Address
Of John Paul II To The Bishops Of The Philippines On Their Ad Limina Visit,
Thursday, 30 October 2003) “Dear young friends, Toronto is waiting for all
of you who can make it! In the heart of a multi-cultural and multi-faith
city, we shall speak of Christ as the one Saviour and proclaim the
universal salvation of which the Church is the sacrament.” (Message
Of The Holy Father To The Youth Of The World On The Occasion Of The XVII
World Youth Day, Toronto 18-28 July 2002) “This unblemished witness to persevering love can
be a great help to other women in critical situations which in this regard
also afflict our society. We hope and pray that many women religious,
possessing the heart of a bride of Christ and showing it in their lives, may also
help reveal to all people the Church's fidelity in her union with Christ her
spouse and enable them to understand it better: fidelity in truth, in
charity, and in yearning for universal salvation.” (Women Religious
Faithfully Serve Christ; General
Audience — March 15, 1995) “He offers himself in sacrifice to free humanity
from the oppression of sin. He behaves in an exemplary way in his physical
and especially moral sufferings, generously enduring injustices. As the fruit
of his sacrifice, he receives a new life and obtains universal salvation.”
(The Catechesis Of The Holy Father, "The Word Became Flesh And Dwelt
Among Us"; General
Audience — 3 December 1997) “As members of the one family of God we can
tolerate no division or discrimination in our midst. When the Father sent
his Son into the world he entrusted him with a mission of universal
salvation. Jesus came that "all may have life and have it
abundantly" (Jn 10:10). No person, no group is excluded from this
mission of unifying love which has now been entrusted to us. We too must
pray as Jesus did on the very eve of his death, with the simple and sublime
words: " Father may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in
you" (Jn 17: 21 ).” (Message
Of His Holiness Pope John Paul II For The Celebration Of The World Day Of
Peace, 1 January 1989; To Build Peace, Respect Minorities) “A liturgical act is an event of grace whose
effect exceeds the will or expertise of the agents who are called to be
humble instruments in the Lord's hands. It is they who have the task of
making it possible to see what God is for us, what he does for us, and of
making the faithful today realize that they are entering into the history
of creation sanctified by the Redeemer, in the mystery of universal salvation.
At a practical level, I will add that it is important to attend to the
quality of the signs, without however showing "elitism", for
Christ's followers, whatever their culture, must be able to recognize in the
words and actions the Lord's presence in his Church and the gifts of his
grace.” (On
the Pastoral Care of the Liturgy, March 8, 1997) “The complete dimension of the presbyter's mission in
relation to the Eucharist is understood if one considers that this sacrament
is primarily the renewal at the altar of the sacrifice of the cross, the
central moment in the work of redemption.
Christ, the priest and victim, is as such the artisan of universal
salvation, in obedience to the Father.
He is the one high priest of the new and eternal covenant, who by accomplishing
our salvation offers perfect worship to the Father, a worship which
ancient celebrations of the Old Testament merely prefigured.” (Priests Are
Ordained to Celebrate Mass; General
Audience — May 12, 1993) |
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