There's actually a parable Christ gives to his disciples regarding this very thing.

Matthew 20:

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle,[a] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

In our case the denarius is an eternity in heaven with God. I don't see why it should matter if you accept him from birth or when you see him coming in the clouds at the end of the world, if you are a good person, you will be saved. Period. This isn't really a change in Catholic Dogma, just a rather strict adherence to it.

It DOES make me a little...nervous/excited though. Generally, people would say that you need to accept the Lord before you die, since you won't get a chance to change your mind after that. With every generation before this it was generally accepted that you won't see the Lord coming on a cloud within your lifetime. If this is no longer true, does that mean the Pope KNOWS we will all see the Lord soon? Are today's non-believers going to become the vineyard workers hired at the eleventh hour?

It's an interesting turn of events at the very least.