[Question:]{.underline} Can an apostate from the Catholic Church save his soul if he dies in the state of unrepented apostasy?
[Answer:]{.underline} An apostate is a person who once was a Catholic, and who has now abandoned all practice of religion. Having received and believed the Catholic Faith, and known at least something of the supernatural order of grace, it is not possible for such a person to be in good faith, as it might conceivably be for a protestant who stopped the practice of his false religion. The reason for this is that good faith presupposes invincible ignorance. Invincible ignorance is only possible for those who have no possibility of knowing the truth concerning divine revelation, and whose ignorance is consequently not culpable. One who has had the theological virtue of Faith infused at baptism, and has had at least some instruction in the Catholic Faith cannot possible be in invincible ignorance. He may, certainly, be in ignorance, as to the true Church, and her teachings, but if he is, it is his own fault, and his ignorance is vincible. It seems that the only exceptions to this would be baptized Catholics who had never been taught anything of the Faith, nor had any Catholic examples as role models.
The Catholic Church refuses Christian burial to all public sinners, including public apostates who are unrepentant. If they give some of repentance before death, even if it is only a probable sign, such as the expression of sorrow for their stubbornness or the desire to see a priest, the Church can have some hope for their eternal salvation and consequently authorizes Christian burial. Needless to say, however, only God can judge the soul, so that it is still permissible to pray privately and offer Masses privately for such apostates who have given no sign of repentance.
Answered by Father Peter Scott, SSPX.