Introduction
The dogma Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus (outside the Church there is no salvation) has seen numerous interpretations as a result of the theological revolutions of the 20th century and misconceptions in the post-conciliar era. In this article we will examine the doctrine and how it relates to the nature of the Church. Included will be how the words “outside” and "inside" pertain to membership in the Church and salvation. We will also look at whether the concept of “Church of Christ” is a distinct entity from the Catholic Church. Three conclusions will be drawn:
1. Misconceptions about salvation sometimes stem from an erroneous interpretation of the ambiguous phrase subsistit in (subsists in) found in Lumen Gentium. Namely that an entity called the “Church of Christ” is a separate reality from the Catholic Church, i.e. ecclesiological separation theory. The conclusion will be that the Catholic Church and the Mystical Body of Christ are one and the same thing. The “Church of Christ” is the Catholic Church.
2. The word "outside" is misinterpreted to the point where one need not be "inside" the Church, but at least have a "relation" to the Church in order to be saved. This runs against the infallible declarations of the dogma and we will term this error Soteriological Relationalism.
3. Salvation of people who are currently outside the Church is possible, but only by being joined to the Catholic Church in some way (ordinary or extraordinary) before they die. Hence, they are no longer outside, but truly inside and united to the entire Church.
In the first part of this article we will examine Lumen Gentium’s description of the nature of the Church and John Paul II’s thoughts on this teaching. This is crucial in understanding how confusion can arise through misinterpretations. After this, we will examine the most authoritative definitions of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus as found in Popes Eugene IV and Boniface VIII. Included will also be teachings of lower authority from other Popes. Our goal is to hopefully demonstrate a clearer and less cumbersome understanding of "outside the Church there is no salvation.”
Part I: The “Church of Christ” Subsists in the Catholic Church and Salvation by Relation
The Second Vatican Council's document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, teaches:
“Christ, the one Mediator, established and continually sustains here on earth His holy Church, the community of faith, hope and charity, as an entity with visible delineation through which He communicated truth and grace to all. But, the society structured with hierarchical organs and the Mystical Body of Christ, are not to be considered as two realities, nor are the visible assembly and the spiritual community, nor the earthly Church and the Church enriched with heavenly things; rather they form one complex reality which coalesces from a divine and a human element. For this reason, by no weak analogy, it is compared to the mystery of the incarnate Word. As the assumed nature inseparably united to Him, serves the divine Word as a living organ of salvation, so, in a similar way, does the visible social structure of the Church serve the Spirit of Christ, who vivifies it, in the building up of the body.
This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Saviour, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd, and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority, which He erected for all ages as "the pillar and mainstay of the truth". This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity.”
[All emphasis mine]
The council teaches that the Church is one reality, visible, perceptible, and a structed society. There cannot be two realities of visible versus spiritual but, “one complex reality.” The second paragraph then describes the “Church of Christ” as subsisting in the Catholic Church. One may be aware of this famous ambiguity in the council. It has led to many discussions and even a clarification by the Vatican, which we will later examine.
The controversy here is how subsists in (subsists in) can be interpreted and what that means for salvation. One interpretation is that the phrase Church of Christ is meant to emphasize that the Catholic Church was founded directly by Christ Himself and not something that emerged later. In the second part of this article, we will see that Popes have used “Church of Christ” and “Catholic Church” synonymously in this way.
Another interpretation is that the fullness of the Church of Christ is contained within the Catholic Church. The “elements of sanctification” found outside the visible structure are assigned to the Church of Christ and not the Catholic Church. The Church then becomes two realities which the visible Catholic Church is seen as a vessel that contains the fullness of the Church of Christ, like a glass holding water to its brim. This is ecclesiological separation theory. For example, a valid baptism found in a protestant sect belongs to the Church of Christ since the visible institution of the Catholic Church is not present during a protestant baptism.
What then does this mean for salvation outside the Church? The concept of Church in the dogma “outside the Church there is no salvation” is interpreted as the Church of Christ, not the Catholic Church. This lessens the importance of the actual Catholic Church, harms missionary zeal, and leads people down a path of saying that the Catholic Church (and by extension the sacraments) are not necessary for salvation. A person need only to be joined to the other reality of the Church of Christ. Catholic engagement with non-Catholics then becomes endless dialogue for mere visible unity.
These interpretations are just a few of many. We will argue in favor of that the Catholic Church is one and the same thing as the “Church of Christ,” without separating them into seemingly two realties (ecclesiological separation theory). This will be done by later examining the teachings of the Church as a whole, and not by limiting oneself to the post-conciliar period.
Pope John Paul II expresses his thoughts on the topic in the book Crossing the Threshold of Hope:
“The Council speaks of membership in the Church for Christians and of being related to the Church for non-Christian believers in God, for people of goodwill (cf. Lumen Gentium 15-16). Both these dimensions are important for salvation, and each one possesses varying levels. People are saved through the Church, they are saved in the Church, but they always are saved by the grace of Christ. Besides formal membership in the Church, the sphere of salvation can also include other forms of relation to the Church. Paul VI expressed this same teaching in his first encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam, when he spoke of the various circles of the dialogue of salvation (cf. Ecclesiam Suam 101-117), which are the same as those indicated by the Council as the spheres of membership in and of relation to the Church.This is the authentic meaning of the well-known statement "Outside the Church there is no salvation." It would be difficult to deny that this doctrine is extremely open. It cannot be accused of an ecclesiological exclusivism.
Although the Catholic Church knows that it has received the fullness of the means of salvation, it rejoices when other Christian communities join her in preaching the Gospel. This is the proper context for understanding the Council's teaching that the Church of Christ "subsists" in the Catholic Church.
The Church, precisely because it is Catholic, is open to dialogue with all other Christians, with the followers of non-Christian religions, and also with all people of good will, as John XXIII and Paul VI frequently said. Lumen Gentium explains convincingly and in depth the meaning of "people of good will." The Church wants to preach the Gospel together with all who believe in Christ. It wants to point out to all the path to eternal salvation, the fundamental principles of life in the Spirit and in truth.”
[All emphasis mine]
(John Paul II and Vittorio Messori, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, pp. 140-141)
Please note: In the following analysis we are not accusing John Paul II of doing something nefarious. We are not proposing that he is intentionally trying to subvert Catholic doctrine. Only that the deterioration of theology and philosophy during this time period produced misinterpretations even in well intentioned people.
First, John Paul II clearly states that the dogma Outside the Church there is no salvation is not “ecclesiological exclusivism.” If the Church of Christ and the Catholic Church are one entity, then salvation does indeed involve ecclesiological exclusivism. To some degree John Paul II is engaging in ecclesiological separation theory by separating the Church of Christ and the Catholic Church. If you recall, the Second Vatican Council taught that there are not “two realities.” Again, if there are two realities of the Church, then denying ecclesiological exclusivism makes sense. Hence, for John Paul II ecclesiological exclusivism must be referring to the visible Catholic Church since elements of sanctification exist outside the “visible structures” as Lumen Gentium teaches. In other words, salvation is not limited to exclusively to the visible Church. Salvation can be found in the Church of Christ, but not literally inside the Catholic Church.
Second, notice how John Paul II states that the Church, “wants to preach the Gospel together with all who believe in Christ.” The Church has never wanted (until now apparently) to preach with heretics and schismatics the Gospel of Christ because they spread dangerous errors. The Church has always wished that the authentic Gospel and Holy Catholic faith be preached.
But why would John Paul II say this? The answer is that salvation has been watered down to a new minimum where heretical preaching is somehow sufficient in joining people to the Church, because there are elements of the true Gospel present in the errors. This “Church” is not the visible Catholic Church, but the “Church of Christ,” hence their preaching is now sufficient. The Catholic Church somehow only realized this after the year 1965. This type of thinking extremely dangerous. It also answers why John Paul II never preached the necessity of Catholicism and the sacraments in his meetings with non-Catholics.
Third, the concept of salvation "through" or in relation to the Church is at least highly ambiguous, or at worst a complete novelty. The way it is used here indicates that the person is not inside the Church, but can still be saved as John Paul II himself makes the distinction: “People are saved through the Church, they are saved in the Church, but they always are saved by the grace of Christ.” Hence, what we have here appears to be a reinterpretation of the word “outside.” John Paul II is saying that the opposite of outside is not only inside but also in relation. In other words, in relation is not equated with inside and at the same time it does not mean outside. The dogma of the Church is seemingly changed from “Outside the Church there is no salvation” to “without the Church there is no salvation.” This is a novel view of the doctrine, and thus we term it Soteriological Relationalism.
Further Reflections on the Novel Approach
The new rendering of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus is as convoluted as it is unnecessary. It divides the Church into almost two different realities. This is a breeding ground for error and even heresy because of ambiguities and undefined theological concepts that are involved, such as “relation,” or “sphere of salvation.” The Catholic doctrine is that salvation occurs inside the Body of Christ, inside the Catholic Church. No person is saved outside the Church. Indeed, the Second Vatican Council does not state that elements of sanctification outside the visible structure automatically entails salvation. Rather, it teaches that the elements of sanctification compel towards Catholic unity. In other words, any element of sanctification outside the visible structure should draw people inside the Church.
We will highlight again what Lumen Gentium says:
“...the society structured with hierarchical organs and the Mystical Body of Christ, are not to be considered as two realities, nor are the visible assembly and the spiritual community, nor the earthly Church and the Church enriched with heavenly things; rather they form one complex reality which coalesces from a divine and a human element.”
The Church cannot be separated into two realities where one is saved outside of the visible structure. If you are saved, you are united with everyone. Every person in the Church is united to Christ and each other. There does not exist a bizarre concept of Soteriological Relationalism where one can be saved outside the visible structure, but "in relation" which is inferred in John Paul’s explanation. The only invisible aspect comes in the state of someone’s soul. You can observe a man walking down the street, but you cannot observe the state of his mind and soul and see if he is Catholic or not. In this sense, there is an invisible element, but there is not a separate reality of an invisible Church that one can be saved, “being related to.”
At the end of his life, a man is either inside or severed from the entire Church, even if you cannot see the state of their soul. The man in the deepest jungles of South America who has no idea what Catholicism is can only be saved by being joined to the Church in an extraordinary way. As the Second Vatican Council teaches in the document Ad Gentes:
“Therefore, though God in ways known to Himself can lead those inculpably ignorant of the Gospel to find that faith without which it is impossible to please Him...”
Furthermore, Lumen Gentium teaches that the Church is one complex entity, analogous to Christ taking on a human nature alongside His Divine nature: “[The Church is] one complex reality which coalesces from a divine and a human element. For this reason, by no weak analogy, it is compared to the mystery of the incarnate Word" (Lumen Gentium, 8). Christ does not reside in a human body. Christ does not subsist inside Jesus the human. Hence, a person saved in an extraordinary way would be joined to the entire Church, even the visible Church, regardless of how perceptible it is to those around him. You cannot divide the Church as you cannot divide Christ.
Making the Simple Complex
Here is how ridiculous the newer formulation sounds: Outside the Church there is no salvation simply means outside the visible structure, because the person can be saved by being in relation. However, the person in relation is not inside, but saved through the Church, and at the same time does not violate the principle of outside. Hence, outside does not literally mean outside it can also mean without. Therefore, the words church, inside, and outside all gained a new redefined meaning after 1900 years.
Such a mess of the doctrine. Stretching words to mean something entirely different and then injecting new phrases without strict theological meaning. It is a recipe for disaster. Imagine if all Catholic doctrine underwent such gobbledygook. Imagine if “whole substance” in the definition of Transubstantiation underwent a reinterpretation to the point where it ceased to mean “whole” or even “substance.” Thankfully, the council of Trent not only defined Transubstantiation, but also taught what not to believe in its anathema decrees. All while using traditional and precise theological phrasing and metaphysics.
Unfortunately, the type of clarity at Trent is not fully seen in the Second Vatican Council and is another factor in leading us into this mess. The post-conciliar Church is supposed to make Catholic doctrine more understandable for the “modern world,” not use mental gymnastics and strain the meaning of words. This new system of words inheriting new meaning is eerily like the concept of dogma evolving, without admitting as such. Just pretend that these redefined words always meant what we now say they mean, even though they are being stretched outside of their traditional definitions. Then at same time, we will add new phrases divorced of any traditional metaphysical, philosophical, or theological foundation, e.g. in relation.
For unknown reasons, it is not enough to simply say, “Outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation. If someone is saved, God does so through His grace by somehow joining the person to the Catholic Church before they die.” That’s it. But thanks to the New Theology and modern philosophical systems, certain words in Catholic doctrine must go through a transformation. Ambiguity is employed, the literal meanings of words are discarded, traditional theology and philosophy are seldom used properly, and the result is a reign of confusion.
Please note again: We are not saying John Paul II did anything intentional and nefarious here. There is much evidence to suggest he was a victim of circumstance. The 20th century was an age of new theologies and philosophies with their undue influence. Combine them with the ambiguities in the Second Vatican Council and even well intentioned men can start making mistakes.
Part I: Conclusion
If one wants to argue another interpretation of Lumen Gentium, then it would be no surprise. The text is not exactly 100% clear. Therefore, everything we have argued above is dependent upon the entirety of Church teaching, and not some private interpretation of Lumen Gentium. In the next section we will demonstrate that there cannot be any separation of the Church of Christ and the Catholic Church via authoritative statements beyond Vatican II. We shall also see there are no phrases such as “of relation” to describe salvation to the point where “inside” is not necessary. Hence, Lumen Gentium must be read and understood by taking the entirety of the Church’s teachings into account.
Part II: Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus - Authoritative Definitions and Teachings
We will now examine the following infallible decrees coupled with other teachings in order to establish that the Church is one reality. We will see that the Church is not separated into “Church of Christ” on the one hand where people can be saved in relation and a visible Catholic Church on the other. We will also see that “outside” and “inside” are used literally.
Infallible Definitions
The following is from the Papal bull Cantate Domino, issued by Pope Eugene IV at the Council of Florence:
“[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 have a share in eternal happiness; but that they will go into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels (Matt 25: 41), unless they unite themselves to the Church before their death; and that so precious is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those who abide in it can benefit from the Church’s Sacraments for their salvation, and that they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, almsgiving and other works of piety and practices of the Christian militancy. No one, no matter how much he has given in alms and even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has persevered in the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church.”
[All emphasis mine]
Pope Eugene explicitly identifies the Church as the Catholic Church. He declares that non-Catholics will not be saved unless they are “in the bosom of the Catholic Church,” and not simply in relation. There is no separate Church of Christ for non-Catholics to secure their salvation, he infallibly declares they must be Catholic.
Pope Boniface VIII in his Papal bull Unam Sanctam teaches:
“With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and we firmly believe and simply confess this (Church) outside which there is no salvation nor remission of sin, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: "One is my dove, my perfect one.
Therefore, of the one and only Church (there is) one body, one head, not two heads as a monster, namely, Christ and Peter, the Vicar of Christ and the successor of Peter, the Lord Himself saying to Peter: "Feed my sheep" [ John 21:17].
Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
[All emphasis mine]
Pope Boniface teaches that the Church is Catholic and that there is one body and not “two heads,” as if Peter was head of the Catholic Church and Christ of another generic invisible Church. Boniface infallibly declares that “every human creature” must be subject to the Roman Pontiff for salvation. Every person means non-Catholics, and it is required that they be subject to the Pope, which logically means they must be inside the Catholic Church and not a separate entity called the “Church of Christ” or simply in relation. If a man is subject to the Roman Pontiff, then he is subject to the visible Church. If a man must be subject to the Roman Pontiff to be saved, then he must be inside the visible Church to be saved.
Additional Papal Teachings
In this section we will examine other papal teachings that although require our assent, may or may not carry the formal infallible declarative language.
Pope Pius IX teaches:
“Not without sorrow we have learned that another error, no less destructive, has taken possession of some parts of the Catholic world, and has taken up its abode in the souls of many Catholics who think that one should have good hope of the eternal salvation of all those who have never lived in the true Church of Christ. Therefore, they are wont to ask very often what will be the lot and condition after death of those who have not submitted in any way to the Catholic faith, and, by bringing forward most vain reasons, they make a response favorable to their false opinion. Far be it from Us, Venerable Brethren, to presume on the limits of the divine mercy which is infinite; far from Us, to wish to scrutinize the hidden counsel and "judgments of God" which are 'a great deep" [ Ps. 35:7] and cannot be penetrated by human thought.For, it must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood; but, on the other hand, it is necessary to hold for certain that they who labor in ignorance of the true religion, if this ignorance is invincible, are not stained by any guilt in this matter in the eyes of God. Now, in truth, who would arrogate so much to himself as to mark the limits of such an ignorance, because of the nature and variety of peoples, regions, innate dispositions, and of so many other things? For, in truth, when released from these corporeal chains "we shall see God as He is" [ 1 John 3:2], we shall understand perfectly by how close and beautiful a bond divine mercy and justice are united; but, as long as we are on earth, weighed down by this mortal mass which blunts the soul, let us hold most firmly that, in accordance with Catholic teaching, there is "one God, one faith, one baptism" [ Eph. 4:5 ]; it is unlawful to proceed further in inquiry.”
[All emphasis mine]
(Singulari Quadam, 1854, Denzinger 1646-1647)
Pius IX explicitly identifies the Church of Christ as the “Apostolic Roman Church,” and does not separate her into two entities. He also uses the analogy of the ark, where people had to be inside the ark to be saved from the flood. No one was saved from the flood by being in relation to the ark, except for being inside.
Some modern apologetics are quick to latch onto to Pius’ explanation about “invincible ignorance” to push salvation outside the Church or at least salvation outside the visible Catholic Church. However, Pius IX does not say anything like that. He is explaining that ignorance which cannot be overcome due to temporal circumstances does not apply guilt. Explaining how they are not guilty of the sin of separation does not automatically mean they are saved outside the Church or in relation. Pius IX does not give any further explanation on how salvation works for these people.
However, considering the infallible definitions seen above, and the necessity to be inside the Church as Pius IX states, the only logical conclusion is that these people must be joined inside the Church. Again to speculate, there may be an unknown extraordinary way God can join a person to the Catholic Church by infusing in them minimal faith (Ad Gentes, 7) and save them before they die. How and if this occurs is unknown and as Pius IX warns “it is unlawful to proceed further in inquiry.”
It is also interesting to note that he condemns the doctrine of having hope all are saved who never lived in the visible Catholic Church. This vile error persisted thanks to Balthasar and is regurgitated sometimes in the present by figures like Bishop Barron.
The First Vatican Council taches:
“Wherefore we teach and declare that, by divine ordinance, the Roman Church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every other Church, and that this jurisdictional power of the Roman Pontiff is both episcopal and immediate. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, and this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those which regard the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world.
In this way, by unity with the Roman Pontiff in communion and in profession of the same faith, the Church of Christ becomes one flock under one Supreme Shepherd.”
[All emphasis mine]
The “Church of Christ” is one and visible. The Church of Christ is equated with the Roman Church by unity with the Roman Pontiff.
Pope Leo XIII:
From this it follows that those who arbitrarily conjure up and picture to themselves a hidden and invisible Church are in grievous and pernicious error: as also are those who regard the Church as a human institution which claims a certain obedience in discipline and external duties, but which is without the perennial communication of the gifts of divine grace, and without all that which testifies by constant and undoubted signs to the existence of that life which is drawn from God. It is assuredly as impossible that the Church of Jesus Christ can be the one or the other, as that man should be a body alone or a soul alone.
[All emphasis mine]
The Church is not hidden and invisible. The Church of Jesus Christ is equated to the visible Church and is likened to man who is a complete person with both body and soul. Hence, the Church cannot be separated, but is one reality.
Catechism of Pope St. Pius X:
Q. In what does the Body of the Church consist?
A. The Body of the Church consists in her external and visible aspect, that is, in the association of her members, in her worship, in her teaching-power and in her external rule and government.
…
Q. But if a man through no fault of his own is outside the Church, can he be saved?
A. If he is outside the Church through no fault of his, that is, if he is in good faith, and if he has received Baptism, or at least has the implicit desire of Baptism; and if, moreover, he sincerely seeks the truth and does God's will as best he can such a man is indeed separated from the body of the Church, but is united to the soul of the Church and consequently is on the way of salvation.
[All emphasis mine]
The novel apologist may see St. Pius X’s words as an affirmation of ecclesiological separation theory or Soteriological Relationalism. Again, we must reiterate that all teaching concerning salvation must be read and interpreted in harmony with the infallible definitions above. If one does this, we can see that St. Pius does not engage in any of these novelties. The Catholic Church is one entity with a concept of body and soul. This is not like ecclesiological separation theory where the Church of Christ comes to rest inside the vessel known as the Catholic Church.
Hence, we can interpret, “united to the soul of the Church” to indeed mean a relation, but the person has not yet arrived at salvation. This relation can be a possession of elements of sanctification outside the visible structures (Lumen Gentium, 8). Again, these elements of sanctification belong to the Catholic Church, not a separate entity called the “Church of Christ.”
As stated in the first part: Lumen Gentium teaches that the Church is one complex entity, analogous to Christ taking on a human nature alongside His Divine nature. Christ does not reside in a human body. Christ does not subsist inside Jesus the human. You cannot divide Christ. St. Pius X and Lumen Gentium teach one Church with a body and soul.
Finally, unlike John Paul II, St. Pius teaches that these people are “on the way” to salvation, not that they are saved. There is nothing here about being saved in relation to the Church. They are not yet saved. Relation to the Church (united with the soul) is the path towards salvation not salvation itself. Again, Lumen Gentium affirmed this by stating the elements of sanctification impel towards Catholic unity.
Pope Pius XI:
"... there is no one who cannot clearly see what a singularly important role the Catholic Church is able to play, and is even called upon to assume, in providing a remedy for the ills which afflict the world today and in leading mankind toward a universal peace.
...
There exists an institution able to safeguard the sanctity of the law of nations. This institution is a part of every nation; at the same time it is above all nations. She enjoys, too, the highest authority, the fullness of the teaching power of the Apostles. Such an institution is the Church of Christ. She alone is adapted to do this great work, for she is not only divinely commissioned to lead mankind, but moreover, because of her very make-up and the constitution which she possesses, by reason of her age-old traditions and her great prestige, which has not been lessened but has been greatly increased since the close of the War, cannot but succeed in such a venture where others assuredly will fail."
[All emphasis mine]
Pope Pius XI explains that the visible Church is the Church of Christ.
Pope Pius XII:
"If we would define and describe this true Church of Jesus Christ - which is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church - we shall find nothing more noble, more sublime, or more divine than the expression "the Mystical Body of Christ" - an expression which springs from and is, as it were, the fair flowering of the repeated teaching of the Sacred Scriptures and the Holy Fathers.That the Church is a body is frequently asserted in the Sacred Scriptures. "Christ," says the Apostle, "is the Head of the Body of the Church." If the Church is a body, it must be an unbroken unity, according to those words of Paul: "Though many we are one body in Christ."[14] But it is not enough that the Body of the Church should be an unbroken unity; it must also be something definite and perceptible to the senses as Our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, in his Encyclical Satis Cognitum..."
[All emphasis mine]
(Mystici Corporis Christi, 13-14)
And:
“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 thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of Christian faith.
[All emphasis mine]
Pope Pius XII teaches the Church of Jesus Christ is the Catholic Church. The Latin word used here is est and not the ambiguous “subsistit in.” Later in his encyclical Humani Generis, he teaches that the Body of Christ and the Catholic Church are one and same. If one is saved by being united to the Mystical Body of Christ, then they are saved by being inside the Catholic and Apostolic Church since they are “one and the same thing.” Pius XII even admonishes those who try to twist the formula of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus to exclude belonging to the Catholic Church.
Even Pope Paul VI teaches that the Church of Christ would collapse without a visible head:
"Are there not those who say that unity between the separated Churches and the Catholic Church would be more easily achieved if the primacy of the Roman pontiff were done away with? We beg our separated brothers to consider the groundlessness of this opinion. Take away the sovereign Pontiff and the Catholic Church would no longer be catholic. Moreover, without the supreme, effective, and authoritative pastoral office of Peter the unity of Christ's Church would collapse. It would be vain to look for other principles of unity in place of the true one established by Christ Himself.”
[All emphasis mine]
Pope Paul VI, who promulgated the Second Vatican Council itself, teaches that if the office of the Papacy were eliminated then the Church of Christ would collapse. However, if the Church of Christ merely subsisted inside the visible Catholic Church, wouldn’t it still endure? After all, the Pope is a part of the “visible structure.” If the visible structure ceased, would not the Church of Christ persist? Hence, the Church of Christ and the Catholic Church are one and the same thing.
Vatican Attempts Clarification
One final note is the Vatican’s response to the subsistit in issue. Cardinal Ratzinger attempts to interpret the text as follows in the document Dominus Iesus:
“With the expression subsistit in, the Second Vatican Council sought to harmonize two doctrinal statements: on the one hand, that the Church of Christ, despite the divisions which exist among Christians, continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church, and on the other hand, that 'outside of her structure, many elements can be found of sanctification and truth', that is, in those Churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. But with respect to these, it needs to be stated that 'they derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church'.
Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church.”
Ratzinger’s explanation is insufficient and bogged down by ambiguity. There is neither anything new nor does this clear all misconceptions. Like in other instances the “elements of sanctification” are not described as something from the Catholic Church. Rather, they insist on saying that these elements belong to the Church of Christ. The elements are merely "entrusted" to the Catholic Church, as if they did not belong to her proper.
This reads as if the true Church is an entity called “Church of Christ” which is fully manifest in the Catholic Church and that elements of it exist outside the visible structure. It is true that when read in the context of the entirety Church teaching as sampled above that the Church of Christ is the Catholic Church. Both descriptors for the Church can be used interchangeably. It is not true if one were use “Church of Christ” as some separate entity that can float around and permeate other Christian sects. Ratzinger's explanation can be analogues to the “Church of Christ” being water and the Catholic Church being a pitcher. The pitcher is filled to the brim with water; hence the pitcher contains the “fullness” of water. However, other entities also contain water to certain degrees such as cups or mugs that surround the pitcher. This interpretation has the appearance of ecclesiological separation theory as discussed in the first part of this article.
Conclusion
The phrase subsistit in is an ambiguous term that has produced interpretations of salvation that sometimes deviate from explicit doctrinal teaching on Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. It was clearly an attempt to explain how elements of sanctification exist outside the visible structure of the Church. It also may have been a way to explain how the Catholic Church is indeed the Church Christ founded and not some entity that sprang up later. Sadly, the phrase had a negative affect of opening the doors to misinterpretation. Instead of a clear and concise development of doctrine, we get ambiguity which has led to overly complex explanations about salvation and the appearance of the Church being separated into two realities. These misinterpretations include salvation being achieved in relation instead of being inside the Church and that the true Church is sometimes seen as the "Church of Christ," separate from the Catholic Church.
Instead of a hyper fixation on the Second Vatican Council's explanation on the nature of the Church and salvation, we should take the conciliar teaching alongside the entirety of the Church's declarations. Interpreted in light of tradition, we can see that the Church of Christ is not a separate entity, but she is the Catholic Church. Salvation is given to us by entrance into this Church, truly being inside and not merely in relation. This is done through the ordinary means of the visible structure or it may be done in an extraordinary method by God. In both cases, the person is always united to the whole Church, not some separate invisible entity.