I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this RC Priest's views on salvation - taken from the RC Bible Reading guide "Bible Alive": "Terry Wogan, an Irish Broadcaster who died earlier this year, was an atheist. He said of his school days 'I heard much about religion but not much about Christianity.' The death of his first child dealt a final blow and he lost his faith completely. Terry's motto in life was "Be kind" and with many mourning his passing, his place as a national treasure is secure. Fr Brian Darcy, a close family friend, was with him when he died. He said of Terry: 'He was certainly the most spiritual, faith filled man in the world. He was filled with love. He was filled with charity, he helped so many people in a quiet way. Honest to God if there is not room for Terry Wogan in Heaven, well then the God I've been preaching is way off. He put it into practice, whether he could agree with religious institutions or not is an entirely different thing. But he certainly had a great deal of faith.'" (Faith in what the article doesn't say). The article goes on to say that "Thankfully a person's salvation is in God'd hands not ours, and we pray for all those who die without the consolation of faith."
I can definitely agree when he says "Thankfully a person's salvation is in God's hands not ours". But I think it was perhaps unfortunate that he also said: "Honest to God if there is not room for Terry Wogan in Heaven, well then the God I've been preaching is way off". We can and should share the Good News, but truly it is indeed God who saves us. God is infinitely just, and also infinitely merciful. Beyond that I dare not go
One thing the RC priest got right was that a person's salvation is in God's hands. One thing the RC priest got wrong was that a person's salvation is in God's hands. God through Christ offers salvation. What we do with it is also part of salvation. It is a "balancing" of God's sovereignty and our free will. Scripture tells us plainly that a rejection of Christ is a rejection of salvation. Jesus himself tells us we can not get to the Father except through Him. So was this atheist saved? From the article sadly no. Just because you know Jesus is the Christ is not enough. Even Satan knows Jesus is the Christ. What do you do with it is the answer. This man sadly rejected Christ. Do I hope we was saved at the end? Of course I do. I pray he was. But the article makes no mention. He died in rebellion. Yes he was a good man as we see good. How does God see him? If we can be good and get to heaven without Christ...what need was the passion. Jesus ceases to be divine and just another good teacher like say Dr. King. Also understand there is an underlying current of universalism in the Roman Church. I heard it all the time of the hope that all men are saved. Do good and God will forgive. One of the reasons I left that system. The RC Church embraces Hans Urs Von Balthasar’s theory that hell maybe empty. I heard that from parish priests and Bishops. Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angles is a very big follower of Bathasar. Maybe, just maybe if his RC priest friend kept presenting the Gospel instead of the reasonable hope that all men are saved. We would not be having this conversation. Blessings Fr. Mark