Once a Catholic, Always a Catholic?

[tampasteve]

I am a lapsed Catholic that was a confirmed as an adult. I grew up Protestant and was baptized Methodist, but I became Catholic around age 25. 10 years later I left the church, but I fully understand that I will always be a "lapsed Catholic" and have no issue stating that. When I made the commitment I understood that there is no such thing as an ex-Catholic and I still stand by that. You can consciously leave, for a variety of reasons - but you can also go back if you choose.

 

[FireDragon76]

I am a lapsed Catholic that was a confirmed as an adult. I grew up Protestant and was baptized Methodist, but I became Catholic around age 25. 10 years later I left the church, but I fully understand that I will always be a "lapsed Catholic" and have no issue stating that. When I made the commitment I understood that there is no such thing as an ex-Catholic and I still stand by that. You can consciously leave, for a variety of reasons - but you can also go back if you choose.

That's sort of how I feel about Orthodoxy. It's a very totalizing religion, it's not like just picking another Protestant church to go to.

 

[DamianWarS]

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 looks to your heart not your brand.

 

[Albion]

...I fully understand that I will always be a "lapsed Catholic" and have no issue stating that. When I made the commitment I understood that there is no such thing as an ex-Catholic and I still stand by that. You can consciously leave, for a variety of reasons - but you can also go back if you choose.

Yes, it is about as easy as joining any other Christian church. Most of them, anyway.

 

[Monk Brendan]

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?

Some Protestants ARE received into the Catholic Church by baptism.

 

[PaulCyp1]

If you abandon the Catholic Church for some unauthorized manmade denominational Church, you are considered "no longer a practicing Catholic". You can only be baptized once. Therefore, if you were baptized in a Protestant church and then become a Catholic, you will not be baptized again, if the form used in your original baptism was correct.

 

[tampasteve]

Yes, it is about as easy as joining any other Christian church. Most of them, anyway.

I see the "wink" but I am not sure I follow....joining the Catholic Church as an adult is quite the commitment, most of the time. I went through around 5 months of RCIA and was received at Easter. Should I ever want to return it is easy though, that is true enough.

 

[GingerBeer]

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?

The way it works is that anyone who is a Catholic and leaves and joins a protestant denomination is either in schism or heresy. Anyone who just stops attending is lapsed and anyone who ceases to believe in God and Jesus Christ is in apostasy. Nevertheless conversion leaves a permanent impress on the character of the person converted.

 

[Yarddog]

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?

I would think that the Church still considers them Catholic. This is not like changing to another religion, such as Judaism or Islam.

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?

As long as a person is properly baptized in the Trinitarian fashion, there is no need to rebaptize because we are all baptized into the body of Christ, the Church.

 

[mama2one]

grew up Catholic but no longer consider myself Catholic

after what happened in the Catholic church and as a person who has done volunteer work with abused individuals and greatly feel for such individuals, there is no trust there to raise our child as Catholic

we attend Christian churches of our own choice as a family
we're not following our parent's choice re specific church (he was raised Lutheran)

 

[Albion]

I see the "wink" but I am not sure I follow....joining the Catholic Church as an adult is quite the commitment, most of the time. I went through around 5 months of RCIA and was received at Easter. Should I ever want to return it is easy though, that is true enough.

The wink is because you made it seem as though returning to the Catholic church would be easy, as if that was something distinctive. To do so would hardly be any easier than if you chose to join almost any Protestant church instead.

 

[tampasteve]

The wink is because of you saying that returning to the Catholic church would be easy, as though that was something distinctive. To do so would hardly be any easier than if you chose to join almost any Protestant church instead.

Ah, thanks for the clarification, yes - you are right. Returning is quite simple, it's the joining that takes a bit of time.

 

[tz620q]

Ah, thanks for the clarification, yes - you are right. Returning is quite simple, it's the joining that takes a bit of time.

Looking back on what we know of the early church initiation period, which I think might have been merely a continuation of how one joined Judaism, I am glad I am born in this age. I like my meals too much to want to fast like that.
~The Didache~
"VII.4. And before the baptism let the baptiser and him who is to be baptised fast, and any others who are able. And thou shalt bid him who is to be baptised to fast one or two days before."

 

[tampasteve]

Looking back on what we know of the early church initiation period, which I think might have been merely a continuation of how one joined Judaism, I am glad I am born in this age. I like my meals too much to want to fast like that.
~The Didache~
"VII.4. And before the baptism let the baptiser and him who is to be baptised fast, and any others who are able. And thou shalt bid him who is to be baptised to fast one or two days before."

I know what you mean! That said, I am a huge fan of the Didache, but it is unclear if it was in wide use, or more local to the community it was written in. Regardless, it is a hugely important document for history and context.

 

[Foxfyre]

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

Though it is probably not believed by most Catholics, unless it has been changed in the last 30 years or so, there is a component to the Catholic doctrine that it is being in the Church itself that saves you. And the Roman Catholic Church is THE Church. That is why being excommunicated or the threat of same has been such a powerful weapon to use to keep the sheep in the fold. Excommunication means removal from the Church and, by default, implies eternal damnation.

Some Protestant denominations also consider themselves to be the only valid Church and those who don't believe and practice as they do are condemned out of their own mouths and such as that.

My personal belief, and the one I encourage all to explore, is that Christ neither established nor endorsed any denomination, cult, sect, or concept of denominations, though denominations in themselves are not evil and serve some legitimate function. Christ and those who have a relationship with Him IS the Church. And our choice of what congregation or denomination to join is entirely superfluous to that.

 

[ChicanaRose]

Thank you everyone for your responses. So can a lapsed Catholic receive communion at another congregation, if it is an open-communion church? (I understand that if it is the closed communion church, you'd have to first convert to that church's denomination).

The defection option is no longer available today as I understand.

 

[Albion]

Though it is probably not believed by most Catholics, unless it has been changed in the last 30 years or so, there is a component to the Catholic doctrine that it is being in the Church itself that saves you. And the Roman Catholic Church is THE Church. That is why being excommunicated or the threat of same has been such a powerful weapon to use to keep the sheep in the fold. Excommunication means removal from the Church and, by default, implies eternal damnation.

Because you are cut off from the sacraments, that is. If you are excommunicated, by the way, it is expected that you will shape up and get the decree removed. It is not a spiritual death sentence.

 

[Albion]

ChicanaRose, post: 73816310, member: 418275"]Thank you everyone for your responses. So can a lapsed Catholic receive communion at another congregation, if it is an open-communion church? (I understand that if it is the closed communion church, you'd have to first convert to that church's denomination).

You are speaking of communing in a "non-Catholic" church, I take it. Of course that is not permitted.

 

[GingerBeer]

Thank you everyone for your responses. So can a lapsed Catholic receive communion at another congregation, if it is an open-communion church? (I understand that if it is the closed communion church, you'd have to first convert to that church's denomination).

The defection option is no longer available today as I understand.

A Catholic can receive communion at a Protestant denomination but not licitly. Most protestant denominations do not have valid priests which means they do not have holy Eucharist and that means their holy communion is invalid. I found this on a web page (the page is here):

According to the Code of Canon Law, receiving communion in a Protestant church is generally not permissible. According to canon 844, “Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers.” The key term here is licit. If a Catholic receives communion from a Protestant minister, it is generally considered “illicit” or unlawful.

The reason for the Catholic Church’s general rule against sharing in the Eucharist with other churches is that a person can only be in full communion with one church. As a Catholic, the core of one’s union with Christ is union with the church. The centre of this union lies in the reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist during Mass, which is both a confession and embodiment of unity with the Roman Catholic Church.

But canon 844 includes an exception to the rule “whenever necessity requires or general spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided.” [Canon 844 says more than thie quoted portion, it goes on to say "Christ's faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, may lawfully receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid."]

The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism said that, as a general rule, common worship and eucharistic and other sacramental sharing should “signify the unity of the church.” But it acknowledges that such sharing can also be seen as advancing unity. In fact, according to the decree, “the gaining of a needed grace sometimes commends” it.

Still, within the confines of canon law, the exceptions to the rule are rather limited, and receiving communion from [for example] a Lutheran pastor during a wedding would normally be seen as “illicit” for Catholic wedding guests. At the same time, some Catholics would like to, and do, receive communion on these rare occasions.​

I think it means No a Catholic should not receive communion in a Protestant church but some do and if they do then they've done so illicitly. I do not know if that means that they sinned, but it probably does and then they'd want to confess the sin and refrain from doing it again.

 

[Albion]

and the exceptions, rare as they are, would not include excommunicated Catholics communing elsewhere as a way around the consequences of the excommunication.