What is Feeneyism?

What is Feeneyism?

Feeneyism or the Boston heresy is a heretical Catholic doctrine that comes from Leonard Feeney. Mr. Feeney was a member of the Jesuit order, but he was dismissed due to disobedience. He took the Catholic doctrine "extra Ecclesiam nulla salus" or "outside(or apart from) the Church there is no salvation" to an extreme. Ordinary Catholics believe in exceptions of extra Ecclesiam nulla salus such as baptism of desire and baptism of blood. Baptism of desire is someone who accepts Christ near death and is incapable of being baptized. Baptism of blood is dying as a martyr for one's faith yet unable to be baptized. Feeneyism rejects both baptism of blood and desire.

Works Cited:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "baptism". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/baptism. Accessed 24 October 2023.

Feldberg, Michael. American Heretic: The Rise and Fall of Father Leonard Feeney, S.J., JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44195416. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.

“Leonard Feeney, Jesuit Priest, 80; Ousted in Dispute over Salvation.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Feb. 1978, www.nytimes.com/1978/02/01/archives/leonard-feeney-jesuit-priest-80-ousted-in-dispute-over-salvation-no.html.