Many neo-con non-trad Catholics will frequently hear a family member or co-worker say something like, “I’m an ex-Catholic.” Then, the lukewarm Catholic smiles back and says, “Once Catholic, always Catholic.” What they actually mean is: “You really have not left the Catholic Church, even if you think you have.”To be sure, it’s a nice idea to say “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic,” but it’s false according to classic Catholic dogma. The fact is that the Catholic Church has always taught that an ex-Catholic maintains the character of baptism, but not the grace of baptism. Mortal sin extinguishes the grace of baptism.And if that mortal sin be heresy, schism or apostasy, then the ex-Catholic is truly that: An ex-Catholic. (Keep in mind that publicly joining a Protestant sect is technically defined as heresy, meaning all the ex-Catholics in Protestant communities no longer remain under the appellation of “Catholic” despite their original baptisms.)

Originally published in Padre Peregrino. Read original article