But the term remains ambiguous. For instance, Pope Francis just honored St. Gregory of Narek as a "Doctor of the Church," although he was ("technically"?) an Armenian Orthodox, not even a regular "Eastern Orthodox." He was not "Catholic," and it's quite possible he never met a Catholic in all his life.
Nevertheless, he never wrote anything at variance with Catholic doctrines. In fact, current Catholic canon law (1983) allows Orientals to receive Communion in a Catholic church. So are they "in communion"? Hmm....
I guess that was the assumption on Pope Francis' part, that if a guy is eligible for Catholic Sacraments, and not personally a proponent of heresy (not even "miaphytism,"), he's good to go.
I'm not a canon lawyer, but I would say from the Peanut Gallery that it's not quite as cut-and-dried as some people suppose.
Plus, anyone who has been Baptized --- anywhere, by anyone--- has entered the Catholic Church, as long as water and the Trinitarian formula in Matthew 28:19 were used.
So there's untold hordes of Christians out there, of various denominational flavors, who are regarded (by us) as "certainly, but imperfectly, Catholic."
That's you, buddy. :o)
In any case, God's action is not limited to, or by, the Sacraments. As the axiom has it, "We are bound by the Sacraments; but God is not bound by the Sacraments." He can do as He pleases.
Plus, anyone who has been Baptized --- anywhere, by anyone--- has entered the Catholic Church, as long as water and the Trinitarian formula in Matthew 28:19 were used. So there's untold hordes of Christians out there, of various denominational flavors, who are regarded (by us) as "certainly, but imperfectly, Catholic." That's you, buddy. :o) In any case, God's action is not limited to, or by, the Sacraments. As the axiom has it, "We are bound by the Sacraments; but God is not bound by the Sacraments." He can do as He pleases.
Wow. There is enough there to get you in trouble with the local FR Inquisition! Such as have asserted such statements as all those statements about Prots now being born again and part of the body of Christ, are misleading
And
thanking God the Spanish Inquisition was up to the job,
that Protestantism is belief in one’s self, and
absolutely alien to Christianity, and that,
Protestants are mostly biblically illiterate,
intellectually dishonest,
evil fruit, who
don’t have the Holy Spirit, and
are not part of the Body of Christ, and
who have no foundation for their understanding of Christianity, and
will not be saved unless they becomes a member of the Catholic Church, and
are by inclination vandals who should be purged from the face of the earth,
But that Catholics never put down or challenge beliefs from protestants, and that,
there never has been a bit of anti-protestant bigotry on FR,
and that they have never seen a Catholic teaching proven false.
However, you have V2 on your side, but what is important is that we are on God's side, which is my prayer for you and all. And may your many infirmities work toward that and growth therein, but that you be made whole as well. 1Jn. 3:2