[ 0 → 4] TrapCast Express [ 4 → 15] TrapCast Express, it's Wednesday, November 11th, 2020. [ 16 → 20] On September 30th, the conservative Novosorto Crisis Magazine [ 20 → 23] published an article by Declan Leary entitled [ 23 → 27] Yes, Biden is Catholic, That's the Problem. [ 27 → 33] Throughout his piece, Leary argues that because former Vice President Joe Biden [ 33 → 39] was once baptized and confirmed, he is therefore irrevocably a Roman Catholic. [ 39 → 42] Now, I'm not looking to lay too much blame on the author here. [ 43 → 46] He is of a youthful age and the victim of a Jesuit education, [ 47 → 50] having just graduated from John Carroll University outside of Cleveland. [ 51 → 55] At the same time, if you're writing a post on what it takes to be a Catholic, [ 55 → 57] you should at least know that... [ 57 → 60] that it is possible to cease being a Catholic. [ 61 → 63] Leary doesn't think so, though. [ 63 → 64] He writes, quote, [ 65 → 78] Ouch. Yeah. [ 78 → 82] Leary means the indelible character of the sacraments, of course. [ 82 → 86] Indelible means unable to be removed or erased. [ 87 → 87] Ineligible. [ 87 → 91] Deluctible, by contrast, means unable to be resisted or avoided. [ 92 → 93] Inescapable. [ 93 → 97] So, baptism and confirmation, just like holy orders, [ 97 → 100] imprints an indelible character on the recipient, [ 101 → 104] which means the sacrament cannot and need not be repeated. [ 105 → 108] Once baptized, always baptized, and so on. [ 108 → 110] The mark can never be erased. [ 111 → 115] But it would be a great mistake to think that the valid reception [ 115 → 117] of the baptismal character makes it so that the sacrament can be erased. [ 117 → 119] It makes one forever a Catholic. [ 120 → 122] Even Adolf Hitler was baptized, for heaven's sake. [ 123 → 124] But more on that in a moment. [ 125 → 127] First, let's see what else Leary writes. [ 128 → 128] Quote, [ 129 → 132] Joe Biden cannot choose not to be a Catholic, [ 132 → 135] and we cannot choose to stop calling him Catholic, [ 136 → 139] whatever monstrous public sins he may undertake. [ 139 → 144] The determination is above his ability and ours to alter. [ 144 → 147] This is no mere semantic distinction. [ 147 → 150] We do a great disservice to the power of the Church [ 150 → 155] when we accept that politics can prevail over her sacraments. [ 155 → 155] Unquote. [ 156 → 159] All right, I guess the editorial standards at Crisis Magazine [ 159 → 162] are at an all-time low these days. [ 162 → 166] It's obvious that the author here is completely clueless [ 166 → 169] about what makes one a member of the Church [ 169 → 172] and how Church membership can be forfeited, [ 172 → 174] which has nothing to do with the sacraments. [ 175 → 177] Now, since Pope Pius XII pretty much said, [ 177 → 178] settled that whole issue, [ 179 → 182] let me quote straight from his 1943 encyclical, [ 182 → 183] Mystici Corporis. [ 184 → 184] Quote, [ 185 → 190] Actually, only those are to be included as members of the Church [ 190 → 194] who have been baptized and profess the true faith, [ 194 → 197] and who have not been so unfortunate [ 197 → 200] as to separate themselves from the unity of the body [ 200 → 203] or been excluded by legitimate authority [ 203 → 205] for grave faults committed. [ 205 → 207] For in one spirit, [ 207 → 208] says the Apostle, [ 209 → 211] were we all baptized into one body, [ 211 → 213] whether Jews or Gentiles, [ 213 → 214] whether bond or free. [ 215 → 217] As, therefore, in the true Christian community [ 217 → 219] there is only one body, [ 219 → 220] one spirit, [ 220 → 221] one Lord, [ 221 → 222] and one baptism, [ 223 → 225] so there can be only one faith. [ 225 → 228] And, therefore, if a man refused to hear the Church, [ 229 → 230] let him be considered, [ 230 → 231] so the Lord commands, [ 231 → 233] as a heathen and a publican. [ 233 → 236] It follows that those who are divided in faith [ 236 → 237] or government, [ 237 → 241] cannot be living in the unity of such a body, [ 241 → 245] nor can they be living the life of its one divine spirit. [ 245 → 248] Nor must one imagine that the body of the Church, [ 248 → 250] just because it bears the name of Christ, [ 251 → 253] is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage [ 253 → 257] only of members conspicuous for their holiness, [ 257 → 259] or that it consists only of those [ 259 → 262] whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. [ 262 → 265] It is owing to the Savior's infinite mercy [ 265 → 267] that place is allowed, [ 267 → 269] in his mystical body here below, [ 269 → 271] for those whom, of old, [ 271 → 273] he did not exclude from the banquet. [ 274 → 275] For not every sin, [ 275 → 277] however grave it may be, [ 277 → 279] is such as of its own nature [ 279 → 282] to sever a man from the body of the Church, [ 282 → 283] as does schism, [ 284 → 284] or heresy, [ 285 → 286] or apostasy. [ 287 → 290] Men may lose charity and divine grace through sin, [ 290 → 293] thus becoming incapable of supernatural merit, [ 293 → 297] and yet not be deprived of all life, [ 297 → 300] if they hold fast to faith and Christian hope, [ 301 → 303] and if, illumined from above, [ 303 → 306] they are spurred on by the interior promptings [ 306 → 309] of the Holy Spirit to salutary fear [ 309 → 312] and are moved to prayer and penance [ 312 → 314] for their sins." [ 314 → 318] And that was paragraphs 22 and 23 [ 318 → 320] of Pius XII's encyclical, [ 320 → 321] Mystici Corporis. [ 322 → 324] In short, the Church distinguishes [ 324 → 326] between sins that do not automatically [ 326 → 328] sever one from the Church [ 328 → 330] and sins that do. [ 330 → 333] The sins that do separate one from the Church [ 333 → 334] by themselves, [ 334 → 335] that is, automatically, [ 336 → 338] apart from any law or intervention [ 338 → 339] of ecclesiastical authority, [ 340 → 342] are heresy, apostasy, [ 342 → 344] and schism, if public. [ 345 → 347] It's important to understand, [ 347 → 349] as Pius XII says, [ 349 → 351] that these sins separate one from the Church [ 351 → 352] by their very nature. [ 354 → 356] So it's not because of how grave [ 356 → 356] these sins are, [ 356 → 358] that they make one a non-Catholic, [ 359 → 361] although they are very grave, of course, [ 361 → 364] but because of what type of sin they are. [ 365 → 366] A man who publicly declares [ 366 → 369] that he does not believe in the Catholic faith, [ 370 → 372] or who publicly refuses to be subject [ 372 → 374] to the lawful Pope, [ 374 → 376] cannot at the same time be a member [ 376 → 378] of the Catholic Church, [ 378 → 381] else membership in the Church has no meaning. [ 381 → 384] The Church requires that all her members [ 384 → 386] profess the same faith, [ 386 → 388] that is essential because the Church [ 388 → 391] was founded by God to be one in faith. [ 392 → 394] And that unity of faith is guaranteed [ 394 → 396] by the Roman Pontiff, the Pope. [ 397 → 399] Another type of unity God gave the Church [ 399 → 401] is that of government. [ 401 → 403] The members of the Church are necessarily [ 403 → 405] all governed, ultimately, [ 405 → 408] by the same single authority, the Pope. [ 408 → 411] Now that requires submission to Him, [ 411 → 414] such that those who refuse Him the submission, [ 414 → 416] not only in matters of faith and morals, [ 416 → 416] but also in matters of faith and morals, [ 416 → 418] but also in matters of law and discipline, [ 419 → 421] are, by that very fact, [ 421 → 423] no longer members of the Church. [ 424 → 426] This refusal, too, must be public [ 426 → 429] in order for it to result in automatic loss [ 429 → 430] of Church membership, [ 430 → 432] because the Church is visible, [ 432 → 434] and it must therefore be possible [ 434 → 436] to determine who her members are [ 436 → 437] in a kind of objective [ 437 → 440] and externally verifiable fashion. [ 440 → 442] No one could know or verify [ 442 → 444] what goes on in secret, [ 444 → 445] and so since Church membership [ 445 → 447] is a public thing, [ 447 → 450] loss of Church membership must be as well. [ 450 → 452] So those are the ways [ 452 → 455] that one will necessarily always cease [ 455 → 458] to be a member of the Catholic Church automatically [ 458 → 460] if one publicly defects from the faith, [ 460 → 462] either by heresy or apostasy, [ 463 → 466] or if one publicly refuses submission [ 466 → 468] to the Roman Pontiff. [ 468 → 470] And that's because these sins [ 470 → 471] are inherently incompatible [ 472 → 473] with Church membership. [ 474 → 475] The Church is, [ 475 → 477] is the congregation of the faithful. [ 478 → 480] Sismatics aren't congregated [ 480 → 483] and heretics and apostates [ 483 → 484] aren't faithful. [ 485 → 487] Now there is one other way [ 487 → 489] that one can cease to be a member of the Church, [ 489 → 491] though it requires a Church law [ 491 → 493] or a Church judgment to affect it, [ 493 → 496] and that is by excommunication. [ 496 → 497] Because, obviously, [ 498 → 500] the Church can expel certain Catholics [ 500 → 502] from her, rendering them non-Catholics [ 502 → 504] by such an act. [ 504 → 505] Now I don't want to get into the details, [ 505 → 508] here, because it's not necessary [ 508 → 509] and it gets a bit complicated [ 509 → 512] because not every excommunication [ 512 → 514] results in loss of Church membership, [ 514 → 516] but for our purposes here, [ 516 → 518] it suffices to note that Catholics [ 518 → 521] can be expelled from the Church [ 521 → 523] by means of excommunication [ 523 → 526] for certain very grave crimes committed. [ 527 → 531] Now, notice that in none of what we just looked at [ 531 → 534] does the question of the indelible character [ 534 → 535] of baptism or confirmation, [ 535 → 536] ever come up. [ 537 → 540] In fact, since baptism is necessary [ 540 → 542] to be a member of the Church to begin with, [ 543 → 544] one must be baptized [ 544 → 547] to be able to ever cease being a Catholic, [ 548 → 550] since you cannot lose Church membership [ 550 → 552] if you never had it. [ 552 → 555] So, when we talk about loss of Church membership, [ 556 → 557] we are talking about people [ 557 → 559] who once were members of the Church, [ 559 → 562] and that requires that they were once baptized. [ 563 → 565] But Declan Leary, in his article, [ 565 → 567] at Crisis, claims that it is impossible [ 567 → 569] to cease being a Catholic [ 569 → 571] because baptism is indelible, [ 572 → 574] or, as he put it, ineluctable. [ 575 → 577] But that indelible character [ 577 → 580] is not what determines Church membership. [ 580 → 582] If it did, then that would mean [ 582 → 584] that the Eastern Orthodox, for example, [ 584 → 586] or the Lutherans, are also members [ 586 → 587] of the Catholic Church [ 587 → 589] because they, too, have a valid baptism. [ 590 → 591] Well, that would be absurd. [ 592 → 594] Now, let's remember what Pope Pius XII said. [ 594 → 595] He said that, [ 595 → 597] only those are to be included [ 597 → 598] as members of the Church [ 598 → 600] who have been baptized [ 600 → 602] and profess the true faith [ 602 → 604] and who have not been so unfortunate [ 604 → 606] as to separate themselves [ 606 → 607] from the unity of the body [ 607 → 611] or been excluded by legitimate authority [ 611 → 612] for grave faults committed. [ 613 → 615] So, baptism alone doesn't cut it. [ 616 → 617] You may be baptized, [ 617 → 620] but once you cease professing the true faith [ 620 → 622] or cease maintaining communion with the Pope [ 622 → 624] and the other members of the Church, [ 624 → 624] it's over. [ 625 → 627] So, what does that mean [ 627 → 629] for the indelible sacramental character, then? [ 630 → 630] Is it useless? [ 631 → 631] No. [ 632 → 634] Fr. Sylvester Berry explains it well [ 634 → 636] in his book, The Church of Christ. [ 637 → 637] Quote, [ 637 → 641] The spiritual character imprinted upon the soul [ 641 → 644] in baptism does not make one a member of the Church. [ 644 → 647] It is, rather, a sign or badge [ 647 → 651] showing that he has received the rites of initiation, [ 651 → 654] but it does not prove that he retains membership. [ 655 → 657] This may be illustrated by the case [ 657 → 659] of a person receiving a tattoo mark [ 659 → 662] as a sign of initiation into a society [ 662 → 664] that uses such marking. [ 664 → 667] If the person afterward leave the society, [ 667 → 669] he would cease to be a member, [ 669 → 671] though he still bore the indelible sign [ 671 → 672] of his initiation. [ 673 → 673] Unquote. [ 674 → 676] That's from The Church of Christ, [ 676 → 680] page 129 in the 1955 edition [ 680 → 684] and page 227 in the 1927 edition. [ 685 → 686] So there is the answer. [ 687 → 689] The indelible character of baptism [ 689 → 692] does not prove you're a Catholic now and forever. [ 692 → 694] It only proves you were once baptized [ 694 → 696] into the Catholic Church. [ 697 → 700] Whether or not you are a member of the Church now [ 700 → 703] depends on whether you profess the Catholic faith [ 703 → 704] and submit to the Pope, [ 704 → 705] if there is a Pope, that is, [ 706 → 707] which is not the case now, [ 707 → 709] and whether you have not been expelled [ 709 → 712] from the Church by excommunication. [ 713 → 715] So, is Joe Biden, [ 715 → 716] a Catholic? [ 716 → 718] In the sense in which that term was understood [ 718 → 721] until the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958? [ 723 → 724] No, of course not. [ 725 → 727] He's what we would call a Novus Ordo, [ 727 → 729] or a Vatican II Catholic, if you will. [ 731 → 732] Further on in his article, [ 732 → 735] Leary describes how Biden is really just [ 735 → 737] an average American Novus Ordo [ 737 → 739] in terms of what he believes [ 739 → 740] and how he acts. [ 741 → 742] And I think he's got a point. [ 743 → 744] The problem, of course, [ 744 → 745] is that the average Novus Ordo [ 745 → 747] isn't a Catholic either. [ 748 → 750] But then, neither is the so-called Pope, [ 750 → 751] Francis. [ 751 → 754] And if the Pope doesn't have to be a Catholic [ 754 → 756] to be part of the institution [ 756 → 757] Leary calls the Catholic Church, [ 758 → 759] then neither does Biden. [ 760 → 761] And that conclusion, [ 762 → 762] ladies and gentlemen, [ 763 → 765] is truly ineluctable. 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