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this means that there is in the life of those who are baptized an internal leaning towards Christ

and thus, an implicit desire to know the grace of the true, RC eucharist, and to be united with the

RCC, even if the person has no idea this desire is there. The upshot of all this is that the Church

exists in its fullness only in the RCC. But it does exist, albeit without fullness, in the other

Christian communities.

Part six attempts to clarify the relationship of the RCC to non-Christian religions. There

are two fundamental principles expressed in DI which have been expressed with increasing

clarity since Vatican II. The first is that the RCC is essential for salvation. The text argues,

unequivocally, "Above all else, it must be firmly believed that ,,the Church, a pilgrim now on

earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is

present to us in his body which is the Church."

But equally clear is the principle of the

universal salvific will of God, through which all particularity, even that of the necessity of the

RCC, must be filtered. "Indeed," says the text, "God ,,desires all men to be saved and come to

the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4); that is, God wills the salvation of everyone through the

knowledge of the truth. . . . Those who obey the promptings of Spirit of truth are already on the

way of salvation."

And this progress towards salvation is not merely anticipatory. For,

"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."

So, how does this

grace of salvation come to these non-Christians? God bestows it "in ways known to himself."

Nevertheless, to turn the coin over once more, DI clarifies that while other religions may

Dominus Iesus 20.

Dominus Iesus 22.

Dominus Iesus 20.