Dear P-Marlowe,
"There is a tacit implication there that perhaps you think that only Catholics are Christians or that everyone who claims to be a Catholic is therefore a Christian."
I'd say that I agree with the Catholic Church that the fullness of Christian faith is found only within the Catholic Church, and that all who are saved are in some way connected to or part of the Catholic Church.
I'd also say that anyone who CLAIMS to be a Catholic is also CLAIMING to be a Christian.
The deeper question for Ms. Pelosi is whether or not she is a Catholic at all. The Church doesn't ordinarily pronounce on the putative Catholicism of individual Catholics, especially laypersons, and thus, we're not going to find any official statement to that effect.
However, I think that based on her beliefs and politics, it's reasonable to say that her Catholicism is deeply flawed, and may even be perhaps abandoned.
"Is everyone who claims the title of 'Catholic' a Christian?"
Everyone who claims the title Catholic is also claiming the title Christian. Whether or not either reflects reality is beyond my own capacity to judge.
However, we ordinarily count as Christian those persons who have been validly baptized and who have not formally apostasized from Christian belief.
"A Christian is someone who follows the teachings of Christ."
I know plenty of folks who claim to be Christian who seem more like pagans to me. Yet, their final judgment is God's.
"Do all Catholics follow the teachings of Christ? Are all Catholics saved?"
It depends on what you're asking. Here are a few possible questions and answers:
"Do all those who have been baptized into the Catholic Church follow the teachings of Christ?"
It doesn't look that way to me.
"Do all those who have been baptized into the Catholic Church go to Heaven?"
I don't think so, as I believe that there are at least some folks who die in mortal sin.
But, I could easily ask these questions:
"Are all those who are validly baptized Christians?"
The answer to this is yes, unless one has formally apostasized from Christian belief. Even then, there is an ontological difference between an unbaptized person and an apostate Christian.
Then, we could ask:
"Do all validly baptized Christians follow the teachings of Christ?"
And my answer again would be: It doesn't look that way to me.
Then,
"Do all validly baptized Christians go to Heaven?"
And again, I'd say, I don't think so, as I believe that there are at least some baptized persons who die in mortal sin.
sitetest
If you were part of an RC adoption group, and a man applied for a placement job with you, imagine that you asked the question: "Do you support our traditional family outlook?"
And the man answers: "Well, I am a Republican."
My only point here has to do with communication.
What did the agency want to hear?
What did they hear instead?