Is Feeneyism Catholic? - Society of St. Pius X

106 IS F EENEYISM C ATHOLIC?
In a similar way, men with baptism of desire have the life of
Christ in them (by grace), which is the most important thing, the
essential requirement for going to heaven; they are joined with
Christ according to St. Paul: “Whosoever are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed
of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:14,17). Their union
with God is perfect, yet it is not complete: the exterior union
would not bring them something more important or more perfect
than the interior union with Christ, but it brings an integral part
of the life with Christ. Hence in the long list of testimonies from
Fathers, Doctors or theologians in this book, it is clear that they
consider that those with baptism of desire are members of the
Mystical Body of Christ, being bound with Christ by sanctifying
grace, though their bond is not complete.
It belongs to the very nature of charity to love not only Christ
the Head of His Body, but also all the members of Christ. Would
a fiancé say to his fiancée, “I love your head but not your body?”
(Hence, those who do not love and honor the saints, do not have
charity; it is a very simple test, just ask some Protestant: “Do you
love the saints?”) Therefore, anyone who, by the grace of the Holy
Ghost, is given the virtues of faith, hope and charity, must desire
and do all in his power to be in perfect and complete union with
all the members of Christ, i.e., with His Church.
If he does not love the unity of the Church, he does not love
Christ, who gave this unity to His Church.
Note that this love of the unity of the Church can be found in
“good men expelled from the Christian Congregation by the turbulent
seditions of carnal men…Hos coronat in occulto Pater, in
occulto videns–The Father, who sees in secret, crowns these men in
secret. This kind of man seems quite rare, though examples are
not lacking; they are even more numerous than one could
think.” 156
It is important to point out that it is not sufficient to say,
“without the Church, no salvation,” we must say with all the Tradition
of the Church, “outside the Church, no salvation.” One
cannot say that one could be saved by the Church, though outside
the Church. To be saved, it is not only necessary to receive grace
from Christ, we must be in Christ by charity: “He that abideth in
charity, abideth in God, and God in him” (I Jn. 4:16). Charity is