Is it true that "once a Catholic, always a Catholic"?

[Kevin_B]

I know a lot of Catholics have beliefs that are more tradition than church teaching (like limbo), so I am a bit skeptical whenever someone claims something is a formal teaching of the church.

Someone once told me that, once you are baptized, the church considers you a Catholic for life, unless you commit certain drastic acts, life getting excommunicated our having an abortion. It’s this a real teaching, or is it simply something they learned from their grandmother out whatever?

 

[Bookcat]

Yes.

Baptism in fact places an indelible character on your soul…

Catechism:

1272 Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#VII

(Confirmation does too…)

 

[1ke]

Someone once told me that, once you are baptized, the church considers you a Catholic for life

Yes, baptism into the Catholic Church makes one Catholic. You can never be anything other than Catholic.

For those baptized in a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community, entering the Catholic Church via a profession of faith has the same effect.

unless you commit certain drastic acts, life getting excommunicated our having an abortion.

No, this is not correct. A person committing such an act is still a Catholic, simply one who is in a state of objectively grave sin and possibly under a canonical penalty. But, still a Catholic nevertheless.

It’s this a real teaching, or is it simply something they learned from their grandmother out whatever?

No, it is accurate.

 

[april32010]

yes

 

[lost_wanderer_1]

Yes, once your in - God wouldn’t let you go. If you are not yet in, he will call you.

 

[JerryZ]

I know a lot of Catholics have beliefs that are more tradition than church teaching (like limbo), so I am a bit skeptical whenever someone claims something is a formal teaching of the church.

Someone once told me that, once you are baptized, the church considers you a Catholic for life, unless you commit certain drastic acts, life getting excommunicated our having an abortion. It’s this a real teaching, or is it simply something they learned from their grandmother out whatever?

Even our protestant brothers, if they were baptized with the correct form are Catholics, They don’t know it yet
Need to pray for them to come join us fully and partake of the other wonderfull Sacraments Jesus gave us through His Church.

 

[1ke]

Even our protestant brothers, if they were baptized with the correct form are Catholics, They don’t know it yet

Not in the way the OP is asking. We are talking canonical, ecclesial jurisdiction here. Not incorporation into Christianity in the broader sense.

 

[mab23]

once your a Catholic you may stray**** but repent and come to mass Your always always welcomed back****

 

[poche]

That is correct. Once you are a Catholic you are always a Catholic unless you do something that puts you out of communion with the church.

 

[Phemie]

That is correct. Once you are a Catholic you are always a Catholic unless you do something that puts you out of communion with the church.

You might be excommunicated but that doesn’t mean you’re no longer a Catholic, it simply means that you aren’t one ‘in good standing’. Contrition and confession will return you to good standing, although for some extreme offenses it may require that the Pope lift the excommunication.

 

[Liturgy_Geek_1]

Once you go Vatican, you can’t go back again.

 

[Kevin_B]

Thanks for the clarification! I will be sure to tell my friend. She is an atheist who is vehemently anti-religion, but I’m working on her…

 

[thistle]

I know a lot of Catholics have beliefs that are more tradition than church teaching (like limbo), so I am a bit skeptical whenever someone claims something is a formal teaching of the church.

Someone once told me that, once you are baptized, the church considers you a Catholic for life, unless you commit certain drastic acts, life getting excommunicated our having an abortion. It’s this a real teaching, or is it simply something they learned from their grandmother out whatever?

A baptised Catholic is a Catholic forever, no matter what they think, do, how they feel, in a state of mortal sin, excommunicated, even if they turn their back on the Church and walk away. None of that affects them being Catholic. They simply have to go to Confession and be reconciled.
There is no such thing as an ex-Catholic or former Catholic.

There are only two types of Catholic - those in a state of grace and those in a state of mortal sin.