When can one call themself Catholic?

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Layman_F

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At being able to take the Eucharist? At assenting to the Nicene Creed? At baptism? At fully surrendering to church teachings? At rejecting Protestantism?
Seriously; at what point of a person’s walk towards the cross can they call themselves Catholic?
 
Layman_F said:
At being able to take the Eucharist? At assenting to the Nicene Creed? At baptism? At fully surrendering to church teachings? At rejecting Protestantism?
Seriously; at what point of a person’s walk towards the cross can they call themselves Catholic?
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If you are baptised as a Catholic then you are a Catholic forever no matter what you say or do subsequent to baptism.
 
Layman_F said:
At being able to take the Eucharist? At assenting to the Nicene Creed? At baptism? At fully surrendering to church teachings? At rejecting Protestantism?
Seriously; at what point of a person’s walk towards the cross can they call themselves Catholic?
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A clear line-of-crossing is when they receive the sacrament of baptism, or confirmation if previously baptised in another denomination.

When do you really “feel” Catholic? It could be before, or after this. I remember someone saying about conversion: “There won’t be any any time when you suddenly realize that you are Catholic”. I agree with that. 🙂

Maybe it’s a bit like marriage. When does a couple really feel “married”?
 
Layman_F said:
At being able to take the Eucharist? At assenting to the Nicene Creed? At baptism?** At fully surrendering to church teachings? **At rejecting Protestantism?
Seriously; at what point of a person’s walk towards the cross can they call themselves Catholic?
Click to expand...
“Fully surrendering to church teachings” is an over-statement. We are required to give assent of will, not heart and head. Usually we assent with the heart and head too, but if there is something which troubles us then we are not required to “fully surrender”, but to simply accept it on authority. eg. I may have trouble with “The Sacrifice of the Mass”. I am not required to fully embrace it, just so long as I accept it on authority, and don’t oppose it or actively reject it.
 
Someone becomes catholic thru baptism. Then “once catholic, always catholic.”

Thru one good confession, a “whatever” catholic becomes a “good” catholic in one step.
 
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