Once a Catholic, Always a Catholic?

[ChicanaRose]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

 

[Loyce KG]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭

One thing I know that is permanent,is that those God has called to Himslef and chosen, they will never be lost. They are always His and none can take them away. Catholic or Protestant-it doesn't matter.

 

[The Faceless]

That's a huge part of why their Church numbers are inflated.

I think it's disrespectful to people who wish to step away from their Church.

 

[dzheremi]

That may be their ecclesiology, but for those of us who find that neither Biblically nor Patristically (nor canonically) sound, that's all it is, and it is not binding upon anyone who will not consent to be bound by it.

So no, there is no truth about that. You are free to leave any time you wish. The worst they can do is threaten you spiritually, but if they don't have any authority to do anything about those threats (since their Pope is not the Vicar of Christ, since Christ needs no vicar, since He hasn't gone anywhere), then that's neither here nor there.

I love my former coreligionists, but I just don't listen to them when it comes to this sort of thing. That's their teaching for their people, but I'm not one of them anymore, so they might as well be saying whatever they wish, because I'm not listening anymore anyway.

 

[HTacianas]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

It's the same. A protestant who is accepted into the Roman Church is the same as someone who is first baptized into the Roman Church.

Once a Catholic always a Catholic.

 

[timewerx]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

God will not consider your former beliefs and way of life.

The present (now) is what always matters, not the past. It goes both ways. Used to be good and became evil and vice versa. It is always the present that will be considered.

My simple advice is don't worry about it. You are free to change denomination as you wish.

 

[MariaJLM]

That's a huge part of why their Church numbers are inflated.

I think it's disrespectful to people who wish to step away from their Church.

It's to do with the fact Catholics, like us EO, believe in the regenerative power of baptism. That's why it's a sacrament to only be performed once. It may not matter to those who see baptism as merely a symbol, however.

 

[dzheremi]

It's to do with the fact Catholics, like us EO, believe in the regenerative power of baptism. That's why it's a sacrament to only be performed once. It may not matter to those who see baptism as merely a symbol, however.

No. Well, at least that's not entirely it. It has do with the fact that Catholics -- unlike Orthodox (or at least unlike Oriental Orthodox, though I've been told in the past that you guys also disagree with the RC on this) -- believe that the sacrament of baptism (and that of priestly ordination, if I recall correctly) confers an ontological change upon the person, marking them permanently with an "indelible mark" as Catholics.

So it's impossible to leave not because you can't leave the Catholic Church and join another one, but because being Roman Catholic makes you into something ontologically different, and you cannot change what you ontologically are...even though, oddly enough, you do being baptized RC in the first place.

(See, e.g., this bit of apologetics)

 

[MariaJLM]

No. Well, at least that's not entirely it. It has do with the fact that Catholics -- unlike Orthodox (or at least unlike Oriental Orthodox, though I've been told in the past that you guys also disagree with the RC on this) -- believe that the sacrament of baptism (and that of priestly ordination, if I recall correctly) confers an ontological change upon the person, marking them permanently with an "indelible mark" as Catholics.

So it's impossible to leave not because you can't leave the Catholic Church and join another one, but because being Roman Catholic makes you into something ontologically different, and you cannot change what you ontologically are...even though, oddly enough, you do being baptized RC in the first place.

(See, e.g., this bit of apologetics)

That's what I meant. I just phrased it differently is all.

 

[Concord1968]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

It goes further than that: They believe anyone receiving a Triune baptism to be automatically Catholic regardless of which faith they were actually baptized in. It's how Vatican II tried to get around the inconvenient "No salvation outside the Catholic Church" dogma.

 

[BNR32FAN]

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭

One thing I know that is permanent,is that those God has called to Himslef and chosen, they will never be lost. They are always His and none can take them away. Catholic or Protestant-it doesn't matter.

The Catholic Church teaches that a person can fall from grace and experience loss of salvation. They have never taught eternal security.

 

[BNR32FAN]

It's to do with the fact Catholics, like us EO, believe in the regenerative power of baptism. That's why it's a sacrament to only be performed once. It may not matter to those who see baptism as merely a symbol, however.

But neither of them believe in eternal security and that a person can fall from grace and lose their salvation. If I’m not mistaken that means they are no longer Catholic.

 

[Lost4words]

But neither of them believe in eternal security and that a person can fall from grace and lose their salvation. If I’m not mistaken that means they are no longer Catholic.

Anyone can fall from grace. Sin does that. Doesnt mean they not a Catholic anymore.

 

[FireDragon76]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

What about adult converts who were baptized in a Protestant church but was later received into the Catholic church? Since they were not baptized in the Catholic church, will they be no longer considered a Catholic if they revert to their Protestant faith?

I don't think that's actually true. Roman Catholics recognize the possibility of abandoning the religion and apostasy.

Both Lutherans and Catholics recognize we have only one baptism, and that it is the same baptism, regardless of which church does the baptizing. I was at a ceremony in 2017 at the shrine of Our Lady, Queen of the Universe, here in Orlando, commemorating, among other things, our shared baptism in Christ.

It goes further than that: They believe anyone receiving a Triune baptism to be automatically Catholic regardless of which faith they were actually baptized in. It's how Vatican II tried to get around the inconvenient "No salvation outside the Catholic Church" dogma.

At my church we say the words of the Nicene Creed which states "I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church". As Philip Melanchthon said, "My last name is "Christian", my first name is "Catholic". There is nothing objectionable about the notion of being Catholic, even for a Lutheran.

 

[FireDragon76]

It's to do with the fact Catholics, like us EO, believe in the regenerative power of baptism. That's why it's a sacrament to only be performed once. It may not matter to those who see baptism as merely a symbol, however.

That's correct, and Lutherans have a similar belief. We do not believe there is anything but one and the same baptism for all Christians. Therefore, rebaptism is a sacrilege.

 

[Ttalkkugjil]

God will not consider your former beliefs and way of life.

The present (now) is what always matters, not the past. It goes both ways. Used to be good and became evil and vice versa. It is always the present that will be considered.

Which are you calling evil - protestantism or Catholicism?

 

[mark kennedy]

It's been my experience that Catholics don't give up on you because you choose to become a Protestant. As long as you don't embrace some heresy they regard as anathema the door remains open. I was baptized Catholic, received first communion and ended up becoming very much a Calvinist. I would love to return to Catholicism but unfortunately that would be hypocritical of me, so because of certain convictions that's not going to happen. Whenever possible I try to keep the peace with my Catholic and Orthodox brethren, knowing full well we have some serious theological differences. I don't judge them and hope they are open minded about the journey I'm on as a fellow believer.

Grace and peace,
Mark

 

[FireDragon76]

It's been my experience that Catholics don't give up on you because you choose to become a Protestant. As long as you don't embrace some heresy they regard as anathema the door remains open. I was baptized Catholic, received first communion and ended up becoming very much a Calvinist. I would love to return to Catholicism but unfortunately that would be hypocritical of me, so because of certain convictions that's not going to happen. Whenever possible I try to keep the peace with my Catholic and Orthodox brethren, knowing full well we have some serious theological differences. I don't judge them and hope they are open minded about the journey I'm on as a fellow believer.

Grace and peace,
Mark

The Catholic apologist, Peter Kreeft, has some good things to say on that subject. From his perspective the Catholic Church has given you a gift and made a home for you and if it doesn't meet your spiritual needs, that's sad, but the gift given in baptism is irrevocable. (Lutherans would have a similar attitude). It's not like you are a godless person or an apostate, necessarily.

Even Protestants like me, who was never baptized in a Roman church, are still mystically connected to the Church, potentially. And I'm just fine with that. Being Lutheran doesn't have anything to do with "not being Catholic" for me.

 

[Albion]

I've heard that if you were baptized in a Catholic church, you will always technically be considered a Catholic even if you go to another denomination. Is this true?

Yes, it is true that that is how the Roman Catholic Church looks at it. That isn't so surprising, is it? When any organization loses a member, it is common for the organization to view that person as a renegade, a turncoat from the organization being left behind, not as an equal who simply had a different opinion.

It is also instructive to know the theological explanation for it that is given by the church.

The Catholic Church believes that it is the only true church and has jurisdiction as a consequence over all baptized Christians, both its own members and those of other churches, irrespective of whether or not they know this or ever belonged to the Catholic Church.

 

[FireDragon76]

Yes it is true that that is how the Roman Catholic Church looks at it. That isn't so surprising, is it? When any organization loses a member, it is common for the organization to view that person as a renegade, a turncoat from the organization being left behind, not as an equal who simply had a different opinion.

It is also instructive to know the theological explanation for it that is given by the church. The Catholic Church believes that it is the only true church an has jurisdiction over all baptize Christians, both their own memers an thos of other churches as well, incluing eveym m bm smm wheuuabastuSTIaiNgrcgrs, Being be

Neither Benedict XVI nor Francis have ever said that Protestants must violate their conscience by becoming Roman Catholics. Yes, they believe we are wrong to not be Catholic in an objective sense, but they also respect our consciences. Therefore, the post-Vatican II church accepts religious pluralism in the seculum.