Does the RCC teach that non-Catholic Christians are anathema?

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lookaround

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Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families;
and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
 
What is your understanding of the word anathema?

It is a word used in the early Church, and in Church Councils to mean one who is excluded from the Church due to their sin or heresy. In other words, excommunicated.

The Church does not use the term anathema anymore. It uses the term excommunicated in canon law.
lookaround said:
Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families;
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Those born into non-Catholic communities cannot properly be termed “anathema” because only a Catholic can be excommunicated.
lookaround said:
and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
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A baptized Catholic who leaves the Church and joins a Protestant sect commits heresy and one who leaves and joins the Orthodox Church commits schism. One who rejects the Christian faith (for a non-Christian faith or in favor of atheism or agnosticism) commits apostacy.

Under canon law, these incur latae sententiae excommunication-- meaning the person excommunicates themselves by the act of rejecting the Catholic Church.

Of course, excommunication can be lifted by the return and sacramental confession of the individual. Some excommunications must be lifted by the Bishop or in certain cases only the Pope.
 
lookaround said:
Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families;
and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
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No.

Lumen Gentium #15
The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. (14*) For there are many who honor Sacred Scripture, taking it as a norm of belief and a pattern of life, and who show a sincere zeal. They lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and Saviour. (15*) They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities. Many of them rejoice in the episcopate, celebrate the Holy Eucharist and cultivate devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God.(16*) They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power. Some indeed He has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood. In all of Christ’s disciples the Spirit arouses the desire to be peacefully united, in the manner determined by Christ, as one flock under one shepherd, and He prompts them to pursue this end. (17*) Mother Church never ceases to pray, hope and work that this may come about. She exhorts her children to purification and renewal so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the earth.
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lookaround said:
Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families; and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
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It is not as simple as it sounds, non-catholics and anti-catholic often use the catholic teaching to catholics and claim by their own mouth it is other than a catholic teaching to catholics. For example one can only sin if knowledge is present, if you investigate you will find 90+% lacked proper knowledge of the very issue used to leave. Once one obtains the proper knowledge you find there was never a real reason to leave.
 
lookaround said:
Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families;
and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
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I don’t know for sure what you mean by the word. You do not list your religion as Catholic, and often other denominations use words with a specialized meaning to them. If you are asking if we view a non-Catholic Christian as separated from the body of Christ so that they have no life, no Spirit, the answer is no, we do not view it that way. Non-Catholic Christians have put on Christ and were born anew. Unless they fall away, their life is hidden with Christ.

We do, however, believe that one can fall away. A Catholic who leaves Catholicism may well be falling away. I would pray for them, but I would not assume they fell from grace.
 
1ke said:
A baptized Catholic who leaves the Church and joins a Protestant sect commits heresy and one who leaves and joins the Orthodox Church commits schism.
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As one who accepted Christ joined the RCC and left for another “denomination”.
Does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to have never become Catholic then become Catholic and leave?

Also does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to remain in my previous non-Christian faith?
 
lookaround said:
As one who accepted Christ joined the RCC and left for another “denomination”.
Does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to have never become Catholic then become Catholic and leave?

Also does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to remain in my previous non-Christian faith?
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Can I ask you what knowledge you used to decide you would be better guided outside the catholic church?
 
Texas_Roofer said:
Can I ask you what knowledge you used to decide you would be better guided outside the catholic church?
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hmm…
my conscience
my understanding of God
my understanding of the scriptures
my understanding of history

and my experiences (however brief) in Catholicism
 
lookaround said:
As one who accepted Christ joined the RCC and left for another “denomination”.
Does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to have never become Catholic then become Catholic and leave

Also does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to remain in my previous non-Christian faith?
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These questions don’t make any sense.

The answer is neither.

The Church holds the fullness of truth. Neither entering and then rejecting nor remaining outside of Her are acceptable options.
 
lookaround said:
so one yes, one no
and a maybe
:confused:
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NH’s post from Lumen Gentium and his answer of “no” refers only to those outside the Catholic Church (those born into Protestant ecclesial communities and Orthodox Churches who have not entered the Catholic Church.)

He was not applying that to those who are Catholics.
 
lookaround said:
hmm…
my conscience
my understanding of God
my understanding of the scriptures
my understanding of history

and my experiences (however brief) in Catholicism
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So you choose to not list any knowledge, which is fairly typical. In church writting this is called dirordered
 
lookaround said:
As one who accepted Christ joined the RCC and left for another “denomination”.
Does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to have never become Catholic then become Catholic and leave?

Also does Catholicism teach that it would have been better for me to remain in my previous non-Christian faith?
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I pose the question to you. If you are born into a Catholic Church and later choose to worship in another Church for genuine reasons why would the Lord of All of us , not understand?
jAll this talk of heresy etc does not help a genuine seeker who prefers to choose another way to worship does it? To seek
 
Texas_Roofer said:
So you choose to not list any knowledge, which is fairly typical. In church writting this is called dirordered
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I prefer not to use this thread in that fashion.
If you like you can PM me and we can discuss your question.
 
to_seek said:
I pose the question to you. If you are born into a Catholic Church and later choose to worship in another Church for genuine reasons why would the Lord of All of us , not understand?
jAll this talk of heresy etc does not help a genuine seeker who prefers to choose another way to worship does it? To seek
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I am trying to get a better understanding of what Catholicism believes.
 
It pretty much teaches you have to do and beleive everything they say or you are out.
 
NHInsider said:
No.

Lumen Gentium #15

The Church recognizes that in many ways she is*** linked*** with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. (14*) For there are many who honor Sacred Scripture, taking it as a norm of belief and a pattern of life, and who show a sincere zeal. They lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and Saviour. (15*) They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities. Many of them rejoice in the episcopate, celebrate the*** Holy Eucharist*** and cultivate ***devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God.(*16) They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power. Some indeed He has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood. In all of Christ’s disciples the Spirit arouses the desire to be peacefully united, in the manner determined by Christ, as one flock under one shepherd, and He prompts them to pursue this end. (17) Mother Church never ceases to pray, hope and work that this may come about. She exhorts her children to purification and renewal so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the earth
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  • “linked” doesn’t mean a member of
  • who is #15 talking about? Protestantism or Orthodoxy? Do Protestants have the eucharist? No
consider the fact passage 15 doesn’t take away from passage 14

passage 14 says

[LG #14]

This Sacred Council wishes to turn its attention firstly to the Catholic faithful. Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition, it teaches that the Church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His Body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism(124) and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved. They are fully incorporated in the society of the Church who, possessing the Spirit of Christ accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given to her, and are united with her as part of her visible bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. The bonds which bind men to the Church in a visible way are profession of faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical government and communion. He is not saved, however, who, though part of the body of the Church, does not persevere in charity. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but, as it were, only in a “bodily” manner and not “in his heart.”(12*) All the Church’s children should remember that their exalted status is to be attributed not to their own merits but to the special grace of Christ. If they fail moreover to respond to that grace in thought, word and deed, not only shall they not be saved but they will be the more severely judged.(13*)
Catechumens who, moved by the Holy Spirit, seek with explicit intention to be incorporated into the Church are by that very intention joined with her. With love and solicitude Mother Church already embraces them as her own.

Note:
persevere in charity is also associated with remaining in the Church and not dividing from her.
 
lookaround said:
Including both those born into Protestant and Orthodox families;
and those who leave Catholicism for a Protestant or Orthodox faith?
Click to expand...
Anathema means “outside the Catholic Church.” So, by definition, I guess those you mentioned are voluntarily outside the Catholic Church.
 
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