2.7. What happens to a person who becomes a formal heretic? Are they still part of the Church?

2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith
Written By Steve John

No. A formal heretic is no longer a member of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII stated:

“They are not to be counted as members of the Church who have left the bosom of the Church or have been excluded for grave reasons by lawful authority.”

— Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi (1943)

A public, formal heretic:

  • Cannot receive the sacraments (except in danger of death),

  • Is deprived of jurisdiction and office,

  • And is spiritually cut off from the Body of Christ, unless he repents.

This is not a punishment imposed externally, but a consequence of being spiritually dead, having rejected the faith.

Steve John
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