Religion: Excommunication

The Roman Catholic doctrine, "outside the church, no salvation," has been the subject of many a theological treatise, and has wrecked the mood in advance of many an auspicious American interfaith gathering. Catholic theologians explain that it must not be overliterally interpreted. Non-Catholic Christians, they say, if "invincibly ignorant" that Catholicism is the only way to salvation, can save themselves by leading good lives; for this makes them, whether they know it or not, Catholics "by desire."

Some Catholics are diffident about this doctrine, but others push it to extremes. The leading U.S. extremist is a grey-haired, ex-Jesuit priest in Boston, Father Leonard Feeney; he insists that no one who is not a Catholic can get to heaven. When he refused to stop expounding this belief, he was suspended in 1949 from his functions as a priest by Boston's Archbishop Richard J. Gushing, and expelled from the Jesuit order. Since then, he and a small group of followers, known as the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, have continued to preach their doctrines on Boston Common (TIME, Oct. 13). Three weeks ago Feeney sent letters to President Eisenhower and all members of Congress, warning them to become Catholics soon if they want to escape damnation.

The Vatican has twice stepped into the controversy, once to refute Feeney's extreme doctrine, and a second time to order him to Rome for an explanation. Feeney refused to respond. Last week a decree from Rome was published in the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese, formally excommunicating Father Feeney from the church.