Word to the Wise
Friday, March 28, 2008 - Friday in the Octave of Easter
[Acts 4:1-12 and John 21:1-14]It was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed....There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.
Peter speaks these words to the religious leadership in Jerusalem when he and John are arrested for curing a crippled man. They are asked by what authority they have acted in healing. Peter speaks very truthfully but also very bluntly. If his words made the listeners feel uncomfortable at the time, they still have that impact in our day! A number of Catholic theologians have recently come under criticism from Vatican authorities and local bishops because they have attempted to "fudge" on this question by saying or appearing to say that there might be another "name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." The implication is that Jesus died to save those who explicitly believe in him but his death and resurrection have no saving implication for those who do not believe in him, such as Buddhists, Moslems, Jews, even atheists. They are "saved" by some other means from God. Under Pope John Paul II, when the current pope, Benedict XVI, was prefect of the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith, a document called Dominus Jesus, was published which repudiates this approach. Jesus is unique and there is no other saving name. At the same time, the church also repudiates a position that condemns anyone eternally who does not have explicit faith in Jesus through no fault of their own. To many non-Christians (and apparently some Christians!) this teaching appears to be arrogant and condescending. It appears to them as if non-Christians are being dragged forcibly and against their own beliefs into a religious system that they want no part of even if they bear good will toward Christians. But the words of Peter say what is true, even if this truth is unacceptable to many. How God handles this and reaches the hearts of non-Christians is the subject of Vatican II documents and other statements and learned books, as I have noted. and yet it is still a mystery in many ways. Christ died for all people. How this gift of salvation is received remains diverse but the gift also remains true. It was worth public opprobrium and scourging and death for Peter and subsequent preachers to proclaim then. It is worth it still. AMEN
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