Michael Müller C.Ss.R. (18 December 1825 – 1899) was a prolific

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

and writer of the 19th century in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Life

In 1862, Mueller became pastor of the Redemptorist parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

, where he remained until 1866. During his tenure, the professed students were relocated from Cumberland to Annapolis. Müller was a prolific writer. Of his ''Golden Rules for Directing Religious Communities'', a review in ''The American Catholic Quarterly'' stated: "Whilst primarily intended for the superiors of Religious Houses, it will, we're sure, be appreciated by, and prove most valuable to all in authority."''The American Catholic Quarterly Review'', Volume 17, (James Andrew Corcoran, Patrick John Ryan, Edmond Francis Prendergast, ed.), Hardy and Mahony, 1892, p. 669
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Teachings

Regarding salvation for those outside the Catholic Church, Fr. Müller wrote: "The Church, therefore, is not one religious body among many; it is the only religious body, inherent in the divine order of creation ..The lesson, therefore, on the Church must be plain, and solid, and deeply impressed upon all who wish to be saved; all must learn and understand that only the Catholic Church is the Teacher from God, and the reasons why

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

out of her is impossible. He wrote on the concept of invincible or inculpable ignorance: "inculpable ignorance of the fundamental principles of faith excuses a heathen from the

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

infidel An infidel (literally "unfaithful") is a person who is accused of disbelief in the central tenets of one's own religion, such as members of another religion, or irreligious people. Infidel is an ecclesiastical term in Christianity around which th ...

ity, and a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

from the sin of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

; because such invincible ignorance, being only a simple involuntary privation, is no sin." "But such ignorance has never been the means of salvation. From the fact that a person who lives up to the dictates of his conscience, and who cannot sin against the true religion on account of being ignorant of it, many have drawn the false conclusion that such a person is saved, or, in other words, is in the state of

sanctifying grace In Western Christian beliefs, grace is God's favor, and a "share in the divine life of God". It is a spontaneous gift from God – "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" – that cannot be earned. In the Eastern Orthodox Chur ...

, thus making ignorance a means of salvation or justification." "Inculpable ignorance has never been a means of grace or salvation, not even for the inculpably ignorant people that live up to their conscience. But of this class of ignorant persons we say, with

Saint Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest, the foremost Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the Western tradition. A Doctor of the Church, he wa ...

, that God in His mercy will lead these souls to the knowledge of the necessary truths of salvation, even send them an

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

, if necessary, to instruct them, rather than let them perish without their fault. If they accept this grace, they will be saved as Catholics."Müller, Michael
Invincible or Inculpable Ignorance Neither Saves nor Damns a Person
Müller did, however, teach

baptism of desire In Christian theology, baptism of desire (, as the Holy Spirit is called the ''breath'' (''flamen'') of God), also called baptism by desire, is a doctrine according to which a person is able to attain the grace of justification through faith, pe ...

and baptism of blood.

Works

* ''The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure'' (1868) *''Golden Rules for Directing Religious Communities, Seminaries, Colleges, Schools, Families, Etc.'' (1871) * ''Prayer: the Key to Salvation'' (1874) * ''Familiar Explanation of Christian Doctrine'' (1875) * ''Devotion of The Holy Rosary'' (1876) * ''Triumph of the Blessed Sacrament: Or History of Nicola Aubry'' (1877)Triumph of the Blessed Sacrament: Or History of Nicola Aubry (1877)
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The Prodigal Son, or, The Sinner's Return to God.Public School Education
*God the Teacher of Mankind (1877) in nine volumes:
Volume I. The Church and Her Enemies.

II. The Apostles Creed.

III. The First and Greatest Commandment.

IV. Explanation of the Commandments continued.
(Google Books)
V. Dignity, Authority and Duties of Parents, Ecclesiastical and Civil Powers. Their Enemy.

VI. Grace and the Sacraments.

VII. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

VIII. Holy Eucharist and Penance.
* ''The Catholic Dogma: Extra Ecclesiam Nullus Omnino Salvatur'' 1888

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Michael Place of birth missing Date of death missing Place of death missing 1825 births 1899 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American Roman Catholic priests American male non-fiction writers American Roman Catholic writers German emigrants to the United States Redemptorists Religious leaders from Cumberland, Maryland Writers from Maryland