Dogmatic Theology (Volume II: Christ's Church)
by Monsignor G. Van Noort, S.T.D
English Translation of the 5th Edition of Tractatus de Ecclesia Christi
1956
Chapter II: The Members of the Church
Article 1: Who Are Members of the Church?
Scholion 1: Who Are Not Members of the Church?
"From the principles laid down, it is fairly easy to know which classes of men are excluded from membership in the Church. A few exceptional cases, however, pose some difficulties. These will be discussed briefly in the course of dealing with clear-cut cases of nonmembership.
"The following classes of men are definitely not members of the Church: (a) the nonbaptized; (b) public heretics;* (c) public schismatics; (d) total excommunicates.
[Here follows an extensive footnote to explain the concept of "public heretic"]
"*A heretic is one who denies a truth of [/i]divine and Catholic faith[/i]: i.e., a truth which has been revealed by God and proposed by the Church for belief (see vol. III of this series, nos 210 and 259). Heretics are classified as "public" or "occult," "formal" or "material." A public (notorious) heretic is one whose heresy is known to a large number of people, even if he has not formally joined the ranks of an heretical church; an occult heretic is one whose errors in faith are either totally unknown, or known only to a few. A formal heretic is one who stubbornly and guiltily adheres to heresy; a material heretic is one who innocently and in good faith subscribes to some heretical doctrine.
[Here follows a treatment of the case of schismatics, before returning to the case of heretics,hich Ideliberately omit, to stay on subject]
"b. Public heretics (and a fortiori, apostates) are not members of the Church. They are not members because they separate themselves from the unity of Catholic Faith and from the external profession of that Faith. Obviously, therefore, they lack one of the three factors - baptism, profession of the same Faith, union with the hierarchy - pointed out by Pius XII as requisite for membership in the Church (see above, p. 238). The same pontiff has explicitly pointed out that , unlike other sins, heresy, schism, and apostasy automatically sever a man from the Church. "For not every sin, however grave and enormous it be, is such as to sever a man automatically from the Body of the Church, as does schism, or heresy, or apostasy. (MCC 30; italics ours)
"By the term public heretics at this point we mean all who externally deny a truth (for example, Mary's Divine Maternity), or several truths of divine and Catholic faith, regardless of whether the one denying does so ignorantly and innocently (a merely material heretic), or willfully and guiltily (a formal heretic). It is certain that public, formal heretics are severed from Church membership. It is the more common opinion that public, material heretics are likewise excluded from membership. Theological reasoning for this opinion is quite strong: If public, material heretics remained members of the Church, the visibility and unity of Christ's Church would perish. If these purely material heretics were considered members of the Catholic Church, in the strict sense of the term, how would one ever locate the "Catholic Church?" How would the Church be one body? How would it profess one's faith? Where would be its visibility? Where its unity? For these and other reasons we find it difficult to any intrinsic probability to the opinion which would allow for public heretics, in good faith, remaining members of the Church.
"When it comes to a question of occult heretics remaining members of the Church, theologians are in sharper disagreement and the intrinsic probability of their respective arguments seems better balanced than in the previous case..."
[There follows a footnote #9 showing the authorities who claim occult heresy does not sever one from Church membership, attributed to Salaverri, which includes St. Robert Bellarmine, Suarez, Billuart, Franzelin, etc]