Roman Catholics: Saved or Lost?

Events and Factors Contributing to this Precipitous Change

Two previous revolutions in Western Christendom have been noted above.
The Protestant Reformation usually considered 1517 as its starting date.
The Liberal-Fundamentalist parting in early 20th century called by Marsden quoting Sydney Ahlstrom as saying this was "the most fundamental controversy to wrack the churches since the Reformation."

Is a third revolution now occurring? Reunion with Rome? Is the Reformation over? Are communications between Roman Catholic and evangelical leaders indicative of a remarkable achievement or a tragic compromise?

Conservative evangelicals saw this change in attitudes among evangelicals regarding the salvation of Roman Catholic people coming by mid-twentieth century. For them the shot that was heard "around the world" was Billy Graham's 1957 New York crusade. He accepted the sponsorship of the local Protestant Council of Churches and had representatives of this group as well as Roman Catholicism on his platform. "Converts" would be sent back into these groups. Graham had been highly successful in his mass evangelistic crusades and had been generally supported by people in broader evangelicalism. From that moment on the support was mixed. Billy Graham remained a man highly respected and a person of admirable integrity--so often not the case of others in the last decades. I doubt that he ever intended to compromise on the gospel. As an evangelist he was driven to preach the gospel to as many people as possible. I cannot dogmatically confirm this view but I believe this is what led him to "join" with liberals and Roman Catholics starting with his New York Crusade in 1957. Was it wise is the question.

Ongoing changing attitudes among evangelicals toward the salvation of Roman Catholics emerged as one of the major soteriological issues debated during recent decades. Numerous public statements have manifested the nature and magnitude of an obvious shift in thinking. This trend characterizes Roman Catholics as probably
Christians, though misguided in certain areas of doctrine and practice. Dr. Kenneth Kantzer alluded to such a trend in a Christianity Today editorial in 1986, "Recent Protestant attitudes toward Roman Catholicism have become cautiously tolerant." Others have been more positive and hopeful about these changes. In their 2005 book Is the Reformation Over, authors Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom stirred controversy just by the book's title.

This book by Noll and Nystrom provided much that is helpful, but the authors also include much that is deeply controversial. The authors seemed to present agreements between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals in the most favorable light and seemed to minimize disagreements. As an example they say, "Baptism and other sacraments hint at differing conceptions of the church." Others might say no, these differences shout aloud at the differences. In his Christianity today article, Timothy Morgan referred to new Pope Francis as "A Pope for all Christians." He stated, "Relations between Catholics and Protestants are warmer than ever."

The trend continued with even more self-proclaimed evangelicals affirming that most Roman Catholics are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

First Major Contribution to This Trend

The Vatican II conclusions provide a major contribution to this trend initiated by the Roman Catholics.

Some have seen Vatican II (1962-1965) as one of the key events that fueled significant change to American Roman Catholicism during the second half of the 20th century. After nearly four years of preparation, the Council was opened by pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962. Following the death of John XXIII, Pope Paul VI opened the second session on September 29, 1963. The final session concluded on December 8, 1965.

According to Pope John XXIII's convocation of the Council, three purposes can be discerned. First, the Pope seemed to believe renewal was in order, He declared, "The forthcoming Council will meet therefore. . . . to fortify the faith, and to contemplate itself in its own awe-inspiring unity. In the same way, it feels more urgent the duty to give greater efficiency to its sound vitality and to promote the sanctification of its members."

Second, the reunion of Catholics and non-Catholics seemed to be a major purpose in calling the Council.

Then, at a time of generous and growing efforts which are made in different parts for the purpose of building that visible unity of all Christians which corresponds to the wishes of the Divine Redeemer; it is very natural that the forthcoming Council should provide premises of doctrinal clarity and of mutual charity that will make still more alive in our separated brothers the wish for hoped-for return to unity and will smooth the way.

Of course, he meant the return of Protestants back into the fold of Roman Catholicism. This is an extremely important point to keep in mind as the Roman Catholics have entered into discussion with various groups within Protestantism. Some seem to miss the point that any discussion of unity among professing Christians always means for them a return back into the Roman Catholic fold