In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the topic Salvation of Non-Believers and the position of the Orthodox Church regarding some modern teachings that appeared among the Catholics. His Holiness discusses carefully the nature of faith and what salvation requires, and answers ideas he considered innovations or distortions of doctrine.

Definition of “non-believers” and the content of faith
His Holiness defines that the word “faith” includes belief in the Holy Trinity (the divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), belief in the Incarnation of Christ and the economy of redemption, belief in the writings of the Gospel, and in the sacraments (baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist), and in the efficacy of Christ’s blood for atonement and His resurrection and eternal life. Whoever does not believe in a part of these tenets is considered a “non-believer.”

The Gospel, preaching, and practical outcome
He clarifies that preaching, baptism, and the sacraments have a real role in salvation; and that mere intellectual knowledge or theoretical acceptance is not sufficient — faith must appear in works as the fruit of that faith, otherwise it is a dead faith as Scripture says.

Conscience and the natural law
Pope Shenouda states that God implanted in every person’s conscience a kind of “natural law” before the written legislation, so people distinguished between good and evil even before Moses’ commandments; this does not exempt anyone from the responsibility of faith after Christ’s coming.

Those who did not receive or refused the Gospel
He answers the argument that there are people to whom the Gospel did not reach by saying that the Gospel reached the ends of the earth, and that many refused it with full resistance. He also explains that the response is not to rely on a general justification that saves someone who refused or did not believe intentionally.

On some Catholics’ attempts at “salvation of non-believers”
He criticizes the attempt by some Catholic circles to declare salvation of non-believers as an official doctrine, describing it as an innovation that weakens Christianity rather than strengthening it because it diminishes every person’s need for Christ’s redemption and His blood.

On the Immaculate Conception (conception without stain)
Pope Shenouda rejects the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Virgin as a recent addition to doctrine; he affirms that the Virgin is pure and honorable, yet she herself glorified and declared that her Savior is the Lord — therefore she was in need of salvation by the blood of Christ as well. One cannot exempt an individual from the body of salvation achieved by blood and redemption.

Fate of the prophets and saints of the Old Covenant
He explains that the prophets and saints before the redemption were in a state of waiting (the Hades), and that Christ after His crucifixion opened for them the door of salvation and paradise, and that the Redeemer’s promises were fulfilled by His blood and redemption.

Judgment and recompense
He confirms that those who do not believe fall under judgment because they did not accept Christ’s redemption, while the believer is recompensed according to both his works and his faith; faith saves if it is accompanied by fruitful works, and works without faith have no saving value.

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