Mormons and Catholics

A few weeks ago there were a couple of discussions [1,2] on FAIR’s message  boards. I wish to capture a few quotations by Catholic David Waltz that present his opinion that  Mormons can be considered Christians, albeit heretical, from a Catholic perspective. As a hat tip to previous discussion, Brad Haas has argued from another Catholic perspective (perhaps the majority opinion), that Mormonism fails to meet traditional expectations of Christianity while witholding judgment on individual Mormons and other self-professed Christians. M&C has looked into the relevancy of the recent decision to not accept Mormon baptisms in a couple of entries [3,4].

Waltz provided the following excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia and asked how it is possible any Catholic  “can continue to maintain that Mormons are something other than heretical Christians.”

St. Thomas (II-II:11:1) defines heresy: “a species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas”. “The right Christian faith consists in giving one’s voluntary assent to Christ in all that truly belongs to His teaching. There are, therefore, two ways of deviating from Christianity: the one by refusing to believe in Christ Himself, which is the way of infidelity, common to Pagans and Jews; the other by restricting belief to certain points of Christ’s doctrine selected and fashioned at pleasure, which is the way of heretics.

Heresy differs from apostasy. The apostate a fide abandons wholly the faith of Christ either by embracing Judaism, Islamism, Paganism, or simply by falling into naturalism and complete neglect of religion; the heretic always retains faith in Christ.

…a thousand small sects have failed, whose names still encumber the pages of church history, but whose tenets interest only a few students, and whose adherents are nowhere. Such were, in the Apostolic Age, the Judeo-Christians, Judeo-Gnostics, Nicolaites, Docetae, Cerinthians, Ebionites, Nazarenes, followed, in the next two centuries, by a variety of Syrian and Alexandrian Gnostics, by Ophites, Marcionites, Encratites, Montanists, Manichaeans, and others. All the early Eastern sects fed on the fanciful speculations so dear to the Eastern mind, but, lacking the support of temporal power, they disappeared under the anathemas of the guardians of the depositum fidei.

Arianism is the first heresy that gained a strong footing in the Church and seriously endangered its very nature and existence. Arius appeared on the scene when theologians were endeavouring to harmonize the apparently contradictory doctrines of the unity of God and the Divinity of Christ. (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VII, pp. 256, 257.)

The FAIR discussions were well attended by Catholics having a difference of opinion with David Waltz. One suggested starting from a different text as a starting point, that of CCC 1271:

Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.” “Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.

However, Waltz believes “[t]hat section says nothing about individuals who believe on Jesus Christ, trust in His atonement, and try to follow His teachings, but have accepted an invalid form of sacramental baptism.” On the related FAIR thread, he also cited CCC 1257-1260 to introduce the concept of baptism of desire (which I note that a liberal interpretation of this concept seems to fill the niche that Mormonism’s baptisms in behalf the dead do):

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

1258 The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.

1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

1260 “Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.” Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

On this other thread, Waltz cites a Catholic scholar:

Catholics view the body of Christ on earth as those communities which acknowledge the Pope as the successor of St. Peter whom Jesus appointed as head and leader of the apostles. Thus the visible body of Christ is that Church in communion with the Pope.

But what about the other Christian Churches? Are they part of the body of Christ in some way?…There are sects who, while they do not profess the traditional Creed, still seek to follow Jesus. These are groups like Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. These are part of the Church. (Richard Chilson, Full Christianity, p. 85.)

I appreciate David’s efforts in presenting this view. I would much rather be considered an invincibly ignorant, heretical Christian. This type of answer to the question recognizes differences while simultaneously expressing concern and hope for my eternal well-being. While I may not agree with being represented as a heretic, I realize that such a term is subjective to one’s point of view and every organization has a right to define itself by excluding others. I have an easier time dealing with such sentiments, knowing that they come from an adherent of another faith, than statements that deny Mormonism’s Christianity all together.