A Man of Steel

Yesterday an old man that I knew passed away. He came to Canada in mid-twentieth century, worked hard and built his own home where his wife and children shared in everything of joyful commitment to each other. He was the first to receive us and give us a place in his home when my wife and I arrived in Toronto. We stayed two weeks in his house, yet he never asked for anything in return. In spite of the death of his beloved wife with cancer, he lived to see his children and grandchildren get married and continued to see them at his home at least at Christmas, the "New Year", and on his birthday. A man of steel, he once joked with me "Let's dance!" when he was hospitalized a decade or so ago. In spite of heart problems, his care of his garden never dissipated. He continued to take care of his backyard and his garden until he was no longer able to walk. Yet lately his health started to crumble. Three weeks ago, alarmed by his quickly-deteriorating health his daughter took him to the hospital. He had missed her and felt lonely when she had a heart attack three months ago because she used to go see him and feed him everyday.   In the hospital the prognosis by physicians predicted that he would not live much longer as he already was having a heart failure and a kidney failure. This past week, he had already stopped eating and would not utter a word. Around him gathered many of his broken-heart children and their families. With much love around him, he was able to eat again but nevertheless his body was giving in to the process of dying. Around him in hospital, his children formed a choir singing and praying for him a continuous Rosary. Again he gathered around him, without probably knowing it, all his children and grandchildren. When we were asked to pray for him as he was close to death, I was able to pray one decade of the holy Rosary, and yesterday too I remembered him in the Eucharistic celebration before receiving the news of his death. A man of steel, he will continue to live in the memories of many who knew him. Last night, I said to his very pious daughter: If all these people prayed for his good death and for him to be received in heaven, how can I expect God to be less generous?" It is my prayer that he is indeed on his way to heaven, now without a body, and on Judgment Day with body and soul joyful and dancing in heaven!  

J. Jules Zerey on Lent

“O God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18, 13)

My beloved religious, and all our faithful sons and daughters,

From the city of Jerusalem and its holy streets, I invite you for a holy pilgrimage with Christ who carries his cross. He carries it while being insulted, suffering and in silence. For twenty centuries millions of pilgrims have walked in the footsteps of Christ along this road known as the Road of the Cross “Via Dolorosa.” They walk behind him in awe, silence and penance.

This Road of the Cross leads us to the spot of crucifixion known as Golgotha. In this spot, where the cross of Christ was erected, how is it possible for us not to prostrate in homage to him while our eyes rise looking at the cross from which the crucified Christ looks to us? This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world – the Lamb of the new Passover.

Golgotha

When the Jews celebrate their Passover, they slaughter a one-year old lamb in memory of their exodus from Egypt, their liberation from the slavery of Pharaoh, and their crossing of the Red Sea that opened before them doors of liberation. For Christ is the New Lamb that rescues us from the hands of the most ruthless pharaoh, the Devil to whom we become slaves if we let ourselves follow his will. Nevertheless our Lord Jesus, by his sacrifice on the cross, saves us from the hands of that tyrant, and opens before us the paths of liberation from our sins granting us their forgiveness by his cross and by the power of the Holy Spirit whom we received in baptism.

Holy Lent invites us to return to the self in order to discover our sins and ask for their forgiveness. We often utter the word “forgiveness of sins” but do we know our sins in order to repent and receive their forgiveness? The answer is found in returning to reading the teachings of our Lord Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.  I, therefore, invite you to read them in the fifth and sixth chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew. We discover the dimension and depth of sin in as much as we fail to apply these teachings in our own lives. Some people think it is impossible to apply them. Yet, Christ assists us by his Holy Spirit to do these commandments so that they become a living constitution for our lives.

In the Sermon on the Mount we read “Blessed are the clean of heart: they shall see God” (Matthew 5, 8). We see that cleanness of heart and purity are missing today. The Church suffers much because many of her children slide into attractive promiscuity offered through space TV channels and pages on the Internet. The loss of purity makes them blind to seeing God. They therefore fall in fornication, adultery and any other acts that disturb the ethical and moral system.

In another text in his Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to be meek and humble of heart as he is (Matthew 11, 29) thus rejecting our human natural tendency to pride, anger, violence, and  other similar tendencies. 

The Saviour teaches us to love each other as he loved us (John 13, 34). In yet another text he taught us that the greatest commandments are love of God and love of neighbour (Mark 12, 30-31).  Our love to each other must drive us to be generous and to live a life of communion with our brethren as the early Church was (Cf. Acts 4, 34-35). Let us recall here the warning of Jesus not to hang onto material wealth; for he said “You cannot serve two masters: God and mammon” (Matthew 6, 24). Love of money, greed, and cold-heartedness open to us the doors of cheating and stealing while they prevent us from giving and assisting the poor (Luke 12: 33-34), (Luke 16, 13), (Luke 21, 1-4), (Matthew 19, 16-26). As for the person who encounters Christ, he will be transformed from a person who loves material wealth to a generous and unselfish person as Zacheus did when he encountered Jesus (Luke 19, 1-10).

I would like to also mention other sins such as envy, gossip, gluttony, and laziness. We often do not pay attention to how dangerous they are for our spiritual lives. Envy occurs when we look with an envious desire to what our neighbour owns or when we compare what we have with what others have and say “Why him/her and not me?” So often I hear our sons and daughters say this sentence! As for gossiping, it may be the most common sin among people that wounds the reputation and feelings of others. Gluttony causes problems to our physical health and may reflect negatively on our spiritual health. Fasting is therefore the best treatment for our health. Let us not enslave ourselves to the desires of the flesh as if they were gods! Lastly laziness diminishes our desire to pray and participate in the service of the parish and in sharing in its activities.

Let us ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and purify us: “O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth Who art everywhere present and fillest all things…: come, abide in us and cleanse us from every sin”… Thus we discover our sins, repent of them and run to the priest confessing them to receive their absolution. Enough claiming “I will confess to God directly”! Confession to the priest is one of the essential teachings of the Catholic Church. I propose that you do it at least once a month or when necessary.

Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving together with Repentance  

Fasting: As Christ fasted for forty days in the desert, so are we too invited to fast; for Christ is our model. Remember that fasting offers us many benefits in both our spiritual life and our bodily life.

Prayer: Through meditation in Holy Scripture, individual prayer and participation in Church prayers. How overjoyed I am by those faithful – some of them are elderly - who come from far to participate in the Church prayers during holy Lent. I ask beloved parents to encourage their sons and daughters to pray and be a first model for them to follow!

Almsgiving: The source of almsgiving is brotherly love. The self-lover, selfish person who hangs to money does not usually feel the needs of his neighbour, is not moved with compassion, and does not perform acts of mercy. See the Parable of the Rich and Lazarus (Luke 16, 19-31), the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10, 29-37) and the General Judgment (Matthew 25, 31-46). These are good examples of our duties to love our neighbour.

An important matter that results from weak human nature and to which we hardly pay attention is grumbling or refusal of the situation we have in life. We often reject difficulties in life arising from limitations to health or other situations in the family such as problems in health, material capabilities or work. This renders us sad, desperate, and grumbling! This is the cross that Christ invites us to carry in the path following him. This refusal to accept the situation of our life and to carry our cross indicates a lack of trust in our heavenly Father who loves us, cares for us, consoles us, hears our prayers, lightens our suffering, and solves much of life’s difficulties.

In spite of the many sins committed as indicated above, I invite you to have joy; for our God who is a just judge (Matthew 5, 21-22), (Matthew 25, 31-46) is also a merciful father who does not will the death of any sinner. He created us to share in his divine life and sent his beloved Son but we crucified him. Nevertheless, his mercy surpasses every measure and is much more than our sin. His sacrifice on the cross and his redemption of us are stronger and more perfect than all the sacrifices. It is one perfect sacrifice whose efficacy reaches out to all humanity throughout all ages and places; freely granted to anyone who discovers Christ, believes in him and in his salvation; a sacrifice that opens to us the doors of repentance and forgiveness, the doors of heaven and eternal life.

Beloved brethren, how cannot our hearts move before the free love of God towards us? We deserve the most severe punishment for the least sin. For Christ the Lord, glory be to him, teaches us that whoever says to his brother “You fool” deserves the fire of Gehenna (Matthew 5, 22). Nevertheless, our God, who loved us so much, pulls us out of sins and forgives them by the merits of the passion and death of his Son Jesus Christ. Yes, we want in this holy Lent to encounter Christ, and that our living faith in him and his salvation gets renewed.  We want to renew our love to him. We want to be united with him and thank him; for by his sacrifice on the cross, he merited forgiveness of our sins. By receiving him in the Divine Liturgy, we are filled by the Holy Spirit who abundantly grants us his numerous gifts and graces, and brings us to cry out to God the Father “Abba” – “father” (Galatians 4, 6).

In this Year of Faith, and by the inspiration of the new evangelization that the Church calls us to, let us strive in Lent to be able to see the salvific passion of Christ and his glorious Resurrection singing in joy “Christ is risen from the dead, and by his death he has trampled upon death, and has given life to those who are in the tombs.”

.

May you have a blessed and holy Lent!

Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey

General Patriarchal Vicar

for the Greek Melkite Catholics in Holy Jerusalem

The Prophetic Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI declared today that he will resign as pope at the end of this month. He spoke to a consistory of cardinals and surprised them as well as the rest of the world that he freely decided after reflection to resign from the Petrine ministry. He stated ageing and health weakness to be the reasons for his resignation. Yet, in contrasting him with his charismatic predecessor Blessed John Paul II, Benedict's relatively short papacy reminds us of Blessed John XXIII since the latter too had a short papacy which inaugurated the springtime of Vatican II in the Catholic Church.

As a young theological expert, Professor Joseph Ratzinger participated in Vatican II and his thought has since influenced the papacy. His spirit of humility and, I should add, collegiality reminds us of Pope Paul VI. His defense of the teachings of the Catholic Church as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) under John Paul II gave him the full support of the papacy. This was particularly true when the CDF released its document Dominus Iesus in 2000. Although it was criticized by mostly liberal theologians, Dominus Iesus stands as an authentic and moderate expression of the faith of the Catholic Church. His valued work as a theologian of wide respect gave him a clear advantage over other highly-esteemed cardinals when a successor to John Paul II was sought in 2005.

Since his election as Pope Benedict XVI, he sought to regain Europe from a harsh secular mind to a Catholic modern civilization. He did this successfully in more than one opportunity.
First, he was able to demonstrate the primacy of reason over the arbitrary will of a dictator in the rational dialogue with modernity. He delivered  it in his famous lecture at the University of Regensburg in September 2006. By citing the 15th century debate of Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus with a Persian Muslim scholar, the pope exposed the fallacy of fundamentalist thought that, regardless of its religious "inspired" source, interprets its text as an act of the will without applying reason. He continued to attract many admiring students due to the depth of his theology.
Second, on request of Anglicans, he allowed Anglican bishops, priests and faithful parishioners to be received in the Catholic Church thus preserving their own tradition while they voluntarily agreed with the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Of course, the media did not cover this 2009 event, but it was a step forward for reunion of Europe as once again a single Christian communion.
Third, he successfully sought the reception of bishops and other followers of the schismatic Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) into the Catholic Church. As a result some traditionalist Catholics returned to the Catholic Church.
Fourth, he defrocked priests and bishops found guilty of child abuse, recognized their "filth" which had alienated a significant number of Catholic individuals in the West, and courageously defended the rights of the victims as well as those of the state to bring them to civil court for their alleged crimes.
Fifth, Benedict XVI continued to defend life from conception to natural death thus giving moral support to pro-life campaigns in the entire world. He took the ever Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God as an example. He also found examples in the pro-life stance of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Sixth, on the ecumenical front, Benedict XVI  continued the open-dialogue policy established by Vatican II with the Orthodox and Old Oriental Churches as well as the Assyrians, Lutherans, Baptists and the Anglican Communion. He has been clear that ecumenism does not mean compromise on dogmas but that Christians must seriously seek the will of Christ.
Seventh: He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor by visiting countries in all continents of the world for peace and to support Catholic missions. He continued to improve the relationship of the Catholic Church with world religious leaders and faithful. In October 2011, he met with religious leaders in Assisi and recognized the crimes committed by Catholic sons in their conquest of America against victims of Indian Americans. In spite of recent violence in the Middle East, he visited Lebanon in September 2012, and reached out to both Christians and Muslims calling on them to persevere in the dialogue of civilizations as he did in encouraging Muslim scholars for their open letter initiative in 2007.

The resignation of Benedict XVI is a prophetic sign for the world. Since Benedict XVI was active against consumerism, atheism, and relativism, his evil enemy will attempt to destroy the Church and realize in a Satanic move what Cardinal Ratzinger had predicted in 1999 for the Church to be smaller and persecuted. This idea may be pessimistic and supported by prophecies attributed to St. Malachy who lived in the 12th century and was a friend of St. Bernard. According to certain conservative interpretations of these prophecies, the next pope is probably the last pope "Petrus Romanus" who will preside over the Holy See and see the destruction of Rome before the Second Coming of Christ the Judge. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints but warns against such practices that claim to read the future as astrology, recourse to Satan or demons, conguring up the dead, the phenomenon of clairvoyance, horoscopes, and other false practices...(CCC 2115-2116). In all cases we must pray to God our saviour and protector and listen to the teaching received in the Church in any good or dark times. Reading the Bible with a good heart can give us light. And we need to continue to hope against all hope that the One who built the Church on the rock of Peter will preserve her until he comes again.

Benedict XVI has been a luminous pillar of Christian faith. His writings alone are an encyclopedia in Biblical scholarship, Christian traditions, anthropology, philosophy, comparative religious studies, as well as science and faith.  As a starter see the Vatican website http://www.vatican.va and http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/

He contributed to a strong contemporary Church that has been built on the Apostles almost 2000 years ago, and continues to grow in spite of the enemy's trials - the community bought by the blood of Christ and following him by saints. Until Easter, Catholics will be praying for a good successor to the Successor of Peter.

The Importance of Communicated Information

Yesterday I enjoyed the latest in Microsoft Office 2013 as Kerstin and I delved in both Word and Excel 2013. Throughout the past sessions I found Kerstin to be a smart person who is eager on learning more as I teach computer science courses at Jesus the King Church. 

Commitment is probably the best thing we can find in a community but enjoyment makes time go fast as Fr. Boulad taught me. What is amazing about the latest developments in software is the fact that vendors are now integrating each others products in their own offerings. For example, I was able to integrate emails in Gmail into Outlook and from there   I could export them to an Excel spreadsheet. Not only Microsoft but IBM too offers integration with MS Dynamics in its latest CRM offering.

The sheer communication and sharing of information is the basis of the development of human civilizations since the beginning of the human race. Information itself is at the core of the existence of creation. The Gospel of John starts with the words "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1: 1). This is how John expresses the eternal relationship of the Father and the Son in the holy Spirit. In its 2004 document on "Communion and Stewardship" the Catholic International Theological Commission states that "the level of organization in the universe, which contains highly organized forms of living and non-living entities, implies the presence of some 'information'". It goes on to say that "the DNA of the chromosomes contains the information necessary for matter to be organized according to what is typical of a certain species or individual." (Imago dei, 30). The entire document can be read here:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040723_communion-stewardship_en.html

We are all "information systems" not only biologically but also spiritually created in the image of God. God communicates himself to us continuously as Karl Rahner, S.J. expressed and we communicate with God and each other as much as we become more truly human. But I do not really need to get into abstract discussion to express my conviction that information is essential to humans. Of course we must not learn nor communicate what is vain. Parents communicate freely the best they know to their children - They communicate their good information to their children and by doing that they contribute in the formation of their children. Because they love their children they communicate everything to their children freely. I could not find a more natural example.

Unity of Humanity

On October 30, 2010, I spoke at the Jaaffari Islamic Center in Thornhill. I was invited to speak to the Shiite Muslim, Hindu, and Christian youths gathered there for a presentation about angels and demons by 3 scholars  from the Catholic perspective, Islamic perspective, and Hindu perspective.

The first thing I did is in respect of their place of worship and according to the example given by Blessed John Paul II, I removed my shoes before stepping in the mosque. After distributing my handouts, including an excerpt from the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on non-Christians and another from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on "Angles and Fallen Angels," I was given a cordial introduction by their youth coordinator.

In my presentation I emphasized the need to collaborate among all peoples of religions since we share a lot in common especially defending the family, the pro-life movement, and traditional moral values. When it came to the topic of angels and demons, I explained the Christian faith in the existence of spirits, angels and fallen angels, and their roles in the salvation plan as narrated in the Bible and the development of understanding the phenomenon of possession by the Devil. Being possessed by the Devil is itself a complex topic that needs a separate lecture!

My Muslim scholar fellow spoke about the evidence of the cosmic powers of angels and demons in the Qura'n but made a subtle note that, in his opinion, Christians have doubt that Christ may be divine! Our Hindu scholar fellow was brief and did not make any remark about Christian faith...Then came the Question Period in which we answered questions from attendees. There I replied to the Muslim scholar that we Christians believe in both the perfect divinity and the perfect humanity of Christ. He countered "Christ was a human person" to which I agreed that he is fully human without the least change in his divinity. Christ is God and Man in the same person! One Muslim young man asked me "How can God be three and one?" to which I replied that this topic needed a separate debate.

One question was directed to me  "Do you think the world will come to an end or is it endless?" I knew this question carried in it the New Age Eastern idea that the cosmos never started and will never end. According to this thought, it is in an everlasting cycle of Big Bang and Big End. Some scientists are already speculating this theory. It is not the Standard Cosmological Model of the Big Bang. I replied that the world will end in the Second Coming of Christ. When the young man asked "When and how?" I answered straight "When Christ comes again, I think and hope he will find the entire world Catholic."

That was a big bang for some attendees! But it makes sense to me. Why?

First the Catholic Church is the largest single organization in the world. It is widespread in all continents and cultures and has been successful in adopting the inculturation directive of the Second Vatican Council. This alone positions her as the most powerful of all Christian organizations. It is also the most effective Christian Communion in terms of missionary work. The Catholic Church built and continues to build universities, schools, and education centers in the entire world where she is welcome. Other Christian missionaries of comparable activities are Protestant individual missions which, nevertheless, lack the cohesion and unity which exist only in the Catholic Church.

Second, the Catholic Church is the single Christian Communion in which all members are in full union in the worship of God. For nearly 2,000 years she has grown in its Apostolic mission from Jerusalem to Rome, then to the rest of the known world.  The sign of its unity is the Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome. Within her bosom are found Eastern-Tradition Churches and Anglican Western-Tradition Churches that are recognized as sister Churches to the Church of Rome fully in communion with the Successor of Peter. Well organized and cognizant of the signs of times, the Catholic Church adapts well to the demands of a changing world. Following the Second Vatican Council, the faithful no longer worship in Latin only, but in the language of the local Church i.e. English, French, Arabic....etc.

Third: In the Catholic Church are to be found some of the most knowledgeable experts in all fields of knowledge from natural sciences to humanities, philosophy, and - of course - religion. In the Vatican stands a space observatory fully equipped with powerful telescopes and directed by scientists who may also be priests. In the past 3 decades the Vatican has sponsored many conferences on science that attracted atheist scientists as well as theist scientists. These activities are well organized within the bounds of the dialogue of the Catholic Church with advanced science. All agencies and organizations that offer Catholic social and educational services are accessible on the Web. They are tailored to support and educate the needy and people in most countries including those countries that may have authorities opposed to her (for example China with whose government the Catholic Church continues a dialogue.)

Fourth: In the moral sphere, which is central to all political powers to gain support, who else but the Pope of Rome that every one in the world must listen to when he speaks? Although Stalin in his days and Napoleon in his glory attempted to denigrate the Pope, they both lost their powers while the Catholic Church continues to grow. Against the advice of John Paul II, the American George W. Bush thought he will win the second Gulf War, and Americans are now paying the price with a huge debt! 

Fifth: We know from history who won and who lost among Christian Churches. Today the world is inhabited by some 1200 million Catholics, 300 million Orthodox and another estimated 300 million Protestants. The Eastern Churches claim Apostolic origin, yet they also suffered great calamities because of divisions and rivalry among their leaders; and in one case because the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt dared to excommunicate the Pope of Rome, he and his followers were excommunicated (Council of Chalcedon, 451 AD). Following the Islamic Conquests, many Christians in the Middle East either converted to Islam or their presence was weakened until Napoleon conquered the Middle East and brought with him missionaries such as the Jesuits who educated Muslims and Christians. Moderate Muslims had already contributed The great School of Alexandria (known for the contributions of such giants as Philo, Origen, and St. Cyril) today no longer exists. The great See of Constantinople, which once governed large territories under the Byzantine emperor, today has about 10,000 faithful in today's Turkey and its huge Agia Sophia Cathedral is now a museum. The Assyrian Church of the East which once flourished in China with millions of Christians, counts today some 600,000 with a Patriarch who lives in the United States! When the late Melkite Catholic Bishop Elias Zoghby proposed a reunion with the Orthodox Church of Antioch, his project was rejected by the Orthodox themselves and was advised to refer to Rome. The program for reunion of all Christians must pass by Rome, not because Rome is the best place but because the Catholic Church is the most open body in Christian Communions. The Successor of Peter holds the keys and in communion with him the College of Bishops (some 4,000 bishops). There have been exaggerations in papal judgments but there have always been reforms. It is said that Martin Luther thought initially at least that his Reformation was part of the reform in the Catholic Church. It is regrettable that misunderstandings between him and Rome culminated in excommunication. The Catholic Church attempted twice a reunion with the Apostolic Churches of the Orthodox East (in the Council of Lyons in the 14th century and the Council of Florence in the 15th century). Following Vatican II (1962-1965) it is the Catholic Church that made the most recognized advances in the dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox since 1972 and with the Lutherans since 1999 as inspired by the Ecumenical Movement which had started in some Protestant Communions in the early 20th century.  It is here that we see a Church that not only teaches but also learns.

Sixth: In fact in the development of civilization, Catholics played the most important role in adopting the classics of the Greeks when the Renaissance was born in Europe inspired in part by St. Francis of Assisi. In the 13th century St. Thomas Aquinas was able to build a philosophical system that adopted the good in Aristotle's philosophy and hence opened the Western mind to the "Scientific Revolution."  Although the excesses and sins of some popes and bishops in the Middle Ages caused protests and divisions that later culminated in the Reformation, no one can deny the good that the Catholic Church as a whole gave to the world including the good intentions of the Crusades which above all were not initially directed against fellow humans but against the persecution of Christians in the Holy Land. Surely princes and kings took advantage of the Crusades to increase their own material power and fortunes but historian tell us that the Roman Pontiff excommunicated those who killed or usurped people rather than following the dictates of Christian conscience. Humanism itself was largely born in Catholic minds such as Dante and the arts have always been supported by popes and bishops in paintings, building of Churches and museums as well as in the development of sacred music. This dynamic still lacks in most ancient Churches of the East.

I had listed quite a few more reasons for my belief in the uniqueness of the Catholic Church in a post on the blog I wrote in 2009. You may wish to refer to it here but I cannot deny my hope that the definition of being a Catholic or "Anonymous Catholic" belongs to everyone who, in search for the truth, follows the dictates of his/her conscience. 
This last point is based on the document Dominus Iesus published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2000 on authority of Pope John Paul II. In it, the Congregation defends the salvific universality of Jesus Christ, sole mediator for the salvation and eternal life of any humans as taught by the Catholic Church, and the Church as "the universal sacrament of salvation." It also recognizes the possibility of salvation of non-Christians although it cautions that errors in their religions could be obstacles to their salvation. Yet, quoting Vatican II, the document articulates a vision for dialogue with non-Christian bodies and encourages theologians to explore how the salvific grace of Christ and the Spirit may be at work in non-Christians for their salvation which is only possible through the grace of Christ. Here is a little excerpt, but the reader is encouraged to read the entire document in the context of the tradition of the Church:

"For those who are not formally and visibly members of the Church, “salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church, but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit”; it has a relationship with the Church, which “according to the plan of the Father, has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Cf. Dominus Iesus; 21).

The above is based on  my own opinion subject to approval by the teaching authority  of the Catholic Church. This is why I think and hope that in the Second Coming of Christ, the world will be Catholic (some as Anonymous Catholics). The dialogue with non-Christians will hopefully be fruitful by the grace of Christ. Hell is reserved for those who never repent.  Christ the king, the One who will reign, will make all one in his one Church and his eternal kingdom.

[And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."] (Revelation 21, 5)