Wow, I just answered this on another forum! Here’s what I said:
#1, in order to be culpable of heresy, one must be aware of the trueness of the Catholic faith from which they depart doctrinally. Traditionally, you can see a good definition from
Thomas Aquinas:
*The heretical tenets may be adhered to from involuntary causes: inculpable ignorance of the true creed,
erroneous judgment, imperfect apprehension and comprehension of dogmas. In none of these does the will play an appreciable part, wherefore, one of the necessary conditions of sinfulness–free choice–is wanting and such heresy is merely subjective or material.*In other words, if you are honest in not understanding the Catholic faith as the true faith, you are not guilty of heresy.
Also from
Catholic Answers: *A person who is ready to be corrected or who is
unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic.*So if you honestly don’t recognize the Catholic Church as THE Church in the first place, you cannot be guilty of heresy against it.
#2, the Church by no means teaches non-Catholics are outside the realm of salvation. From the Catechism:
CCC#847* Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.*So again, if you are sincere in not recognizing the Catholic Church as the Church Christ established and sincerely strive for truth, you too, can be saved.
