A Short Reminder That You Are Not Catholic If…

Without even getting into hefty theological or ecclesial matters, here are some of the most basic of basic criteria, that if you wilfully fail to meet, disqualifies you from calling yourself Catholic.

The Massacre of the Innocents by Nicholas Poussin

Over the span of the past year or so, my loved ones and I have repeatedly been marginalised, ostracised and calumniated for following the Catholic Faith with all our hearts, souls and minds and to the best of our abilities.

(By the way, see what I did there? I didn't say "for being Traditional Catholics". Know why? There is only one Catholic Faith. I am tired of having to designate myself as some sub-sect of the "real" Catholic Faith. Or further legitimising the false religion masquerading as Catholicism by pretending we have the option to practise it one way or the other. So, I am taking back what rightly belongs to us as followers of Christ and members of the Church He founded!)

But back to my little rant. The attacks came in various guises ranging from the blatant to the subtle to the stealth. The name-calling has been especially, shall we say, amusing. According to our persecutors we are "not Catholic", "weirdos", "schismatics", "heretics", "too holy for church" and "mentally ill" to name just some of the choicest accolades they have bestowed upon us.

Did I mention that our persecutors are not secular non-believers or followers of false religions and sects but, erm, other Catholics, catechetical instructors and even priests? Mind you, now that I have written that, maybe I should revisit my comment about "followers of false religions and sects"…

It is also these very persecutors who preach, shout and scream "love and tolerance" from the rooftops, yet have zero for those who want to follow the Catholic Faith. Not that I want either their version of "love" and much less their "tolerance". As the good old chap G.K. Chesterton said, "Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions".

So, without even getting into hefty theological or ecclesial matters, here are some of the most basic of basic criteria, that if you wilfully fail to meet, disqualifies you from calling yourself Catholic. I picked these because heterodoxy in these areas is so rampant among so-called Catholics and the very people who call me “not Catholic”. (This is of course not an exhaustive list, see my last point for more on that):

The Eucharist is not a symbol, it is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

If you do not treat it as such or do not believe this, you are NOT Catholic.

The Most Holy Eucharist is not a mere symbol or memorial meal—it is the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. This is a central dogma of the Catholic Faith, solemnly defined at the Council of Trent: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly His body that He was offering under the species of bread... the Church has always held, and this holy Council now again declares, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance... which the Catholic Church has most aptly called Transubstantiation" (Session XIII, Canon 1). To deny or diminish this truth is to cease to be Catholic in any meaningful or doctrinal sense. Furthermore, even amongst those who profess belief in the Real Presence, a failure to act with the reverence due to Christ Himself—by promoting practices such as Communion in the hand, lay Eucharistic "ministers," or casual, immodest, and irreverent receptions—constitutes sacrilege. Pope St John Paul II warned in Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Let us be clear: if this Eucharist is the apex of the Church's life, it demands the fullest respect and awe… abuses do harm to the faith itself" (EE, 10, 52). Pope Pius XII taught in Mediator Dei that innovations which diminish reverence for the Eucharist "are to be condemned as contrary to the spirit of the Church." St Thomas Aquinas affirms, "Since Christ himself is present in the sacrament, it is not permissible to treat it with anything but utmost adoration" (Summa Theologiae, III, q.82). To treat the Blessed Sacrament as common food, or to support liturgical practices that profane the altar or obscure the sacred, is not only irreverent—it is a grave sin. Such acts, committed knowingly, are a participation in a practical denial of Christ's divinity and a profanation of the "source and summit of the Christian life" (CCC 1324). Faithful Catholics must defend the dignity of the Eucharist with their words, actions, and worship—or risk falling into apostasy masked as reform.

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell?

(And the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!")

Abortion is murder of the innocent and a grave mortal sin

Abortion is always a grave sin because it is the deliberate and direct killing of an innocent human life, which violates the Fifth Commandment: "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13).

If you do not believe this, do not practise this, or condone this sin, you are NOT Catholic.

The Catholic Church has consistently taught that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches: "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable" (CCC 2271). The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent likewise condemns abortion as a mortal sin that defies natural and divine law. Pope Pius XII, addressing Italian midwives in 1951, stated clearly: "Every human being, even the child in the womb, has the right to life directly from God and not from the parents or from any human society or authority. Therefore, there is no man, no human authority, no science, no 'indication' that can give a valid juridical title for a direct deliberate disposition of an innocent human life" (Allocution to Midwives, Oct. 29, 1951). Later, Pope St John Paul II reaffirmed this unbroken teaching in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, declaring: "Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder" (EV, 62). The unborn child possesses an immortal soul and is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27); thus, to destroy that life is to attack the Author of Life Himself. No circumstance, no matter how difficult, can justify such an act. Abortion is not merely a private decision but a violation of divine law and a grave wound to the moral order and the dignity of the human person. Thus, obtaining an abortion for yourself, assisting someone in obtaining it or condoning it all amounts to mortal sin.

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell?

(And the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!")

Being pro-life goes beyond abortion and that means using contraception is a grave sin

Sorry, you don't get to decide when and who are allowed to use contraception or under what circumstances. Your so-called "compassion and loving approach" cannot justify mortal sin.

Not believing this, using contraception or promoting the use of it means you are NOT Catholic.

Contraception, in all its forms, is gravely sinful because it violates both the natural law and divine law by deliberately frustrating the procreative end of the marital act, which God has ordained for the transmission of life. The Church teaches that the unitive and procreative meanings of marriage are inseparable, and to wilfully separate them is to reject God's design for human sexuality. Pope Pius XI, in his 1930 encyclical Casti Connubii, solemnly taught: "Any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offence against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin" (Casti Connubii, 56). This teaching remains unchanged in the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states: "Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil" (CCC 2370). Pope St Paul VI reaffirmed this teaching in Humanae Vitae, declaring: "It is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it... even when the intention is to safeguard or promote individual, family or social well-being" (Humanae Vitae, 14). Contraception not only offends against chastity and marriage, but it also fosters a mentality of control and selfishness over life itself, undermining the sacredness of the marital covenant and the dignity of the human person as a co-creator with God.

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell?

(And the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!")

Lifestyles and practices that promote the culture of death are grave sins

According to the Catholic Faith lifestyles and practices which oppose God's natural law—such as those promoted by the modern LGBTQ+ movement—are intrinsically disordered and gravely sinful, particularly when they seek to normalise or celebrate acts contrary to chastity and the divine purpose of human sexuality.

If you practise these, condone or promote them, you are NOT Catholic.

Sacred Scripture condemns homosexual acts as gravely immoral: "Do not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). St Paul likewise warns: "Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error... those who do such things deserve death" (Romans 1:27, 32). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Basing itself on Sacred Scripture... tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered... under no circumstances can they be approved" (CCC 2357). Pope Pius XII reaffirmed this natural law principle, stating that "the right order of the Creator has been violated" when sexuality is misused contrary to its ends (Address to Midwives, 1951). Such acts are not only contrary to chastity but also deny the procreative and unitive purposes of sexuality as established by God. Pope St John Paul II, in Evangelium Vitae, identified the acceptance and promotion of such disordered lifestyles as part of the broader "culture of death" that relativises truth and undermines the dignity of the human person (EV, 12). While the Church calls all people to be treated with compassion and respect, it cannot bless sin nor affirm lifestyles that reject God's moral order.

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell?

(And the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!")

Sins of the flesh are still mortal sins in 2025 and still the number one reason why you will probably go to hell

Don't like what I just said? Don't take my word for it. Our Lady, Mother Mary, (the Mother of God, remember her?) told Jacinta, one of the three shepherd children of Fatima, that "the sins which cause most souls to go to hell are the sins of the flesh".

Sins of the flesh—including adultery, fornication, cohabitation outside marriage, masturbation, and the use of pornography—are grave offences against the Sixth and Ninth Commandments and are always considered mortal sins when committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.

If you practise these, condone or promote them, you are NOT Catholic.

These acts distort the gift of human sexuality, which God intended to be expressed solely within the sacramental union of one man and one woman in marriage, ordered towards both unity and procreation. Sacred Scripture warns unequivocally: "Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who practise homosexuality… will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Fornication is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality" (CCC 2353); "Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment" (CCC 2380); and that masturbation and pornography are "intrinsically and gravely disordered" (CCC 2352, 2354). Pope Pius XII emphasised the seriousness of impurity, stating: "Amongst the sins which cry to heaven for vengeance, sexual sins are amongst the most serious and ruinous to souls" (Allocution to Youth, 1953). These sins enslave the body and darken the soul, reducing persons to objects of pleasure and severing them from God's grace. Pope St John Paul II, in Veritatis Splendor, reminds us that some acts are intrinsece malum—intrinsically evil—regardless of circumstances or intentions (VS, 80). To persist in such sins is to embrace the culture of death and reject the life of grace. Only through sincere repentance, frequent confession, and a life of chastity according to one's state in life can one be restored to friendship with God.

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell? (Yes, I know this is getting old, but I need to bring a point across which if I don't will cause souls to be lost. Including my own if I remain silent)

(And the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!")

God is merciful and all are going to heaven

Oh boy, talk about "how wrong can you be".

Universalism—the belief that all souls will be saved regardless of faith or moral life—along with religious indifferentism and false ecumenism, directly contradict the defined dogmas of the Catholic Church and constitute grave errors that endanger souls. The Church has always taught that outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus), a doctrine affirmed by the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the Council of Florence (1442), and the infallible declaration of Pope Boniface VIII in Unam Sanctam (1302): "We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff." Religious indifferentism—the belief that all religions are equally valid paths to God—is condemned by Pope Pius IX in Quanta Cura and by Pope Leo XIII in Immortale Dei, where he writes, "It is absurd to believe that all religions are equally good and praiseworthy… truth cannot be contrary to truth." False ecumenism, which seeks unity at the cost of Catholic doctrine, was denounced by Pope Pius XI in Mortalium Animos (1928), where he declared: "It is clear that the Apostolic See cannot on any terms take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics… for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ." The modern tendency to dilute dogma, deny the necessity of conversion, or promote interreligious gatherings that imply equality of creeds offends against the First Commandment and the unique mediatorship of Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6).

To hold or propagate these errors knowingly and wilfully is to reject revealed truth and the divine constitution of the Church and thus constitutes mortal sin against faith. And if you do…

(Everyone together now…)

You are NOT Catholic…

(And with some more enthusiasm…)

Did I mention that the punishment for mortal sin if not repented from and confessed is eternal damnation to Hell?

Aaand….

… the choir cries out on cue in whiny unison: "He is judging us!"

And finally… to be Catholic is to believe the whole faith—rejecting any part is a mortal sin

To be truly Catholic is to accept all that the Holy Roman Catholic Church teaches, believes, and professes to be revealed by God.

The Faith is not a buffet of optional truths; it is a unified and divinely revealed whole. Vatican I dogmatically declared: "By divine and Catholic faith, all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God… and which are proposed as divinely revealed by the Church" (Dei Filius, Ch. 3). To obstinately deny or even doubt any defined dogma—whether on the Eucharist, the necessity of the Church for salvation, the Immaculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the moral law—is heresy, which separates the soul from the Body of Christ and places it outside the state of grace. Pope Leo XIII taught in Satis Cognitum (1896): "It is absurd to imagine that he who is outside the Church can command in the Church… he who dissents even in one matter from divinely revealed truth absolutely rejects the authority of God." Likewise, the Catechism of the Catholic Church warns: "Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith" (CCC 2089). Mortal sin requires grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent—criteria fulfilled when one knowingly rejects the authority of the Church or refuses submission to her Magisterium. Pope Pius XII reiterated this in Mystici Corporis Christi, stating, "Only those are to be accounted really members of the Church who have been baptised and profess the true faith... and have not cut themselves off from the structure of the Body by schism or heresy." The Catholic Faith is not ours to redefine, reinterpret, or selectively obey. To call oneself Catholic while rejecting even a single dogma is a contradiction in terms—and a mortal sin against the virtue of faith. As Our Lord Himself said, "He who hears you, hears Me; and he who rejects you, rejects Me" (Luke 10:16).

And guess what buddy, if you don't believe it all you are NOT Catholic.

And the choir cries out…

sigh

Since 99 per cent of so-called Catholics today (including my persecutors) can’t tick most or all of these, please tell me again who is NOT Catholic?

Christus vincit!

Christus regnat!

Christus imperat!

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