Non-catholics and state of grace

[Neithan]

If a non-catholic Christian is living in some grave sin according to Church teaching, knows that they are, but persists because they do not believe in the authority of the Church, are they necessarily in mortal sin or is it possible that, given their lack of belief in Catholicism, they could be in a state of grace vis-a-vis ignorance?

Let me illustrate with an [hypothetical] example:
Two Protestant friends are cohabiting. They are strong, practising Christians according to their denomination, but in the eyes of the Catholic Church they are living in a state of grave sin. If I *tell *them so, does that necessitate that they are in mortal sin, or could they still be considered ignorant on the grounds that they don’t care/believe what the Catholic Church teaches?

 

[baltobetsy]

If they have not been given the gift of (Catholic) faith, they do not have the responsibilities that go along with that faith. Your telling them what Catholic teaching is will not change their guilt or innocence.

That said, what Christian denomination teaches that cohabitation is OK for serious believers? I don’t think that’s an exclusively Catholic teaching. Fornication is fornication, no matter what denomination you are.

Betsy

 

[Neithan]

That said, what Christian denomination teaches that cohabitation is OK for serious believers? I don’t think that’s an exclusively Catholic teaching. Fornication is fornication, no matter what denomination you are.

Betsy

There’s lots. For one, The New Apostolic Church is okay with fornication/cohabitation generally, as long as the couple is “committed and loving.” (neither of which is reflected if they don’t marry each other before engaging in sexual relations… but try telling them that!) Having children before marriage is frowned upon, however. Some of my relatives in Germany belong to this denomination.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

There’s lots. For one, The New Apostolic Church is okay with fornication/cohabitation generally, as long as the couple is “committed and loving.” (neither of which is reflected if they don’t marry each other before engaging in sexual relations… but try telling them that!) Having children before marriage is frowned upon, however. Some of my relatives in Germany belong to this denomination.

Neithan:

The same goes for The Episcopal Church (Latest Name Change) whose latest Presiding Bishop previous to the present one was a gay man who was living with his male lover after leaving his wife and kids.

The Episcopal Church is also tolerant of sexual relations outside of marriage. In fact, they’re one of the few denominations which support a woman’s right to have an Abortion. It was their partner body in Canada, The Church of Canada, whose college gave the award to the Canadian Abortionist.

This is definitely not the body which refused to give communion to Mary Pickford when she remarried after divorcing Douglas Fairbanks.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[I_A]

We can not know the state of their souls (whether it is mortal or not) because we don’t know their knowledge. Just because someone says something somewhere doesn’t mean they don’t internalize it.

Now from what you said it would lead me to think that they know enough for it to be a mortal sin, based on the fact that they are Christians, but it is not something for us to judge whether it is mortal or venial. Priests who are given a special obligation to know more can only make educated guesses, and the only way they can know for certain is if they are given special graces by God to assit them in this. For others we can only judge if or if not it is a sin, not mortal or venial.

Edit: If it is your position you might want to explain to them WHY it is it is immoral so they have a more fully formed conscience.