Feeneyism is a

Christian doctrine Christian theology is the theology of Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, ...

, associated with

Leonard Feeney Leonard Edward Feeney (February 18, 1897 – January 30, 1978) was an American Jesuit priest, poet, lyricist, and essayist. He articulated a strict interpretation of the Roman Catholic doctrine ''extra Ecclesiam nulla salus'' ("outside the Chu ...

, which advocates an interpretation of the

dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...

extra Ecclesiam nulla salus The Latin phrase (meaning "outside the Church here isno salvation" or "no salvation outside the Church")Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

can go to

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

and that only those

baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

with water can go to

. Feeneyism opposes the doctrines of

baptism of desire In Christian theology, baptism of desire ( la, baptismus flaminis, lit=baptism of the breath), also called baptism by desire, is a doctrine according to which a person is able to attain the grace of justification through faith, perfect contritio ...

and baptism of blood as well as the view that non-Catholics can go to heaven. Feeneyism is considered a

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

; some Catholics refer to Feeneyism as the Boston heresy.

Leonard Feeney

Feeney was a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the

Jesuit order , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

. The order dismissed Feeney in 1949 for disobedience; later, on 4 February 1953, the

Holy Office The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...

declared him

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

"on account of grave disobedience to Church Authority, being unmoved by repeated warnings." Feeney co-founded the group known as the

Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary refers to a number of different religious communities which all trace their roots to the St. Benedict Center, founded in 1940 by Catherine Goddard Clarke in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1945 ...

with

Catherine Goddard Clarke Catherine Goddard Clarke , also known as Sister Catherine, (August 21, 1900 – May 8, 1968) was an American Traditionalist Catholic writer, educator, and lay religious sister. She was the founder of the Saint Benedict Center in Cambridge, Mass ...

. Feeney reconciled with the Catholic Church in 1972 without any recantation from his part.

Doctrine

The doctrine of Feeneyism is associated with the position of Leonard Feeney (1897–1978), a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priest of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, on the doctrine ''

can go to

and that only those

with water can go to

. Feeneyism opposes the doctrines of

and baptism of blood as well as the view that non-Catholics can go to

. Feeneyism is considered a

by the

; some Catholics refer to Feeneyism as the ''Boston heresy''. Feeney rejected what was the definition of the Catholic Church of baptism of desire at the time, i.e. the idea that people who openly affiliated with the Catholic Church as well as those spiritually linked to the Catholic Church through an implicit desire could be saved. Fr. Feeney wrote in his 1952 book ''Bread of Life'':

Condemnation of Feeneyism

In a 1949 letter to Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, the

condemned Feeney's teaching that only those formally baptized in the Catholic Church can be saved. The Holy Office affirmed that those baptized by their desire can be saved. This letter was sent by Cardinal

Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of Rome, Secretary of the Holy Of ...

to Cardinal Cushing. This letter stated among other things: This letter is referenced in a footnote of the ''

Catechism of the Catholic Church The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ( la, Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It aims to summarize, in book for ...

'', in its section "Outside the Church there is no salvation", paragraph 847, as well as in a footnote in ''

Lumen gentium ''Lumen gentium'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bishop ...

''.

Feeneyite groups

* Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary located in Richmond, New Hampshire *

Most Holy Family Monastery Most Holy Family Monastery (also stylized as MHFM) is a non-profit sedevacantist Feeneyite Catholic organization, based in Fillmore, New York. It is headed by two brothers, Brothers Michael and Peter Dimond. MHFM is known for its persistent de ...

Leonard Feeney

Doctrine

Condemnation of Feeneyism

Feeneyite groups

References

Further reading