Catholic/non-catholic

[Guest Guest_hyperdulia again]

If someone does not and has never believed a defined doctrine/moral teaching of the Catholic Church. Then no matter how many masses they go to, no matter how often they go to confession, no matter that they were baptised and confirmed into the Catholic Church, no matter that they'd lay down their lives gladly for the Church and for God, they aren't Catholic and have never been Catholic, right?

I've asked this question before and gotten it answered..please actually answer the question that has been asked.

[Adeodatus]

The general rule really is: Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.

You could be an apostate, a heretic, a schismatic or excommunicated but you would still be (respectively) an apostate Catholic, a heretical Catholic, a schismatic Catholic, or an excommunicated Catholic.

Once you're baptised, that's it. You can't undo it. The emperor Julian tried to undo it by being baptised in a pagan ritual in bulls' blood, but to no avail. Once the seal of Christ is on you, you will always bear that character, even if you reject the grace.

So a Catholic in such tricky situations is a Catholic with impaired communion, but still a Catholic. Not all people who can't accept this or that defined teaching are necessarily formally apostates or heretics. (I'm thinking of people who haven't declared their heterodox opinions). Many people have the mitigating excuse of ignorance. Their continued sharing in the Church's sacramental life may be fruitful for them, I don't know. None of us does. But we can hope that grace will convert their hearts. They are still linked to us, they are our brothers and sisters. We should pray for them, and for ourselves that God will give us the grace to always be true to Him and His Church.