Isn’t the Catholic church the church that never changes, having taught the same doctrine for all of its 2,000 years since its inception?
So, when the Catholic church makes up its mind about whether non-Catholics are saved or not or going to hell or not, could you get back to us?
OK: First, the passage quoted in your previous post, that was from our Catechism, is directed to members of the Catholic Church, what It teaches, and our rights within the Church, and responsibilities to the Church as a family; to the world, that is stewardship and to our state in life. It's an admonishment to Catholics not to neglect our Faith; to live it; not to be lukewarm, but actively seeking God and serving Him and others in our daily lives, and not to neglect the responsibility to make certain that those in our care, that is, children, Godchildren, and sometimes friends and family whom God puts in our lives.
There are 1.2 billion of us in the world. It is meant to be a guideline, that pervades every aspect of our lives, We have all seen that not everyone follows the Church this way. There are some who have been amazing examples of what can happen when a person takes the leap of faith to follow this path.
Each of us Catholics enters a covenant with God at our Baptism, to know love and serve him through the Church, throughout our lives. For those of us Baptized as infants, our Godparents speak for us, and it is up to the baby's parents, Godparents, and fellow Catholics to teach them accordingly. When we reach the age of reason, and are capable of exercising our free will to be "good or bad" and are taught how to examine our conscience and make a good Confession, so that we can receive Our Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. As we mature in our lives and our Faith, we actively make a choice to keep that covenant begun at Baptism for the rest of our lives, at which point, we make our Confirmation. We receive the Holy Spirit in a special way. We also, having been given a name at Baptism when others spoke on our behalf, choose for ourselves a name of our own. From then on, we shoulder the responsibility to live for God through the tenets of that Faith. If we fail, we go to Confession, known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If we actively choose to break that covenant we made with God through the Church, and choose to walk away, or choose to commit sins of which they do not repent, they must accept the consequences. Man often fails in this respect- we have"cafeteria Catholics" and those who do not take the clerical responsibility to instruct/correct/assist them in reconciliation/or take their rights and privileges as Catholics away (excommunication). This is unfortunate, but a fact, nonetheless.
Can a person come back? Yes, of they truly desire to renew and to keep that Covenant. I rejected the Church, was away and returned.
Why? Because God is the One Who sees the things of the heart. He alone can perfectly know our minds, hearts, and consciences. It is He alone Who decides where we ultimately will be.
Bye for now. I hope this helped explain the difference between what you cited from the ÇCC and what is written in Lumen Gentium, which I cited in return.
God bless you!