NON-CATHOLIC. — By a. (from the etymology: à privative and καθολικὸς), is understood anyone who is not Catholic; hence: 1) in a broad sense not only non-Catholic baptized persons, but also all those who more properly are called “infidels” (see); 2) in a strict sense all those who, although having received baptism and calling themselves Christians, do not profess the Catholic faith or are separated from it (heretics, schismatics, apostates; cf. CIC, can. 1325).
The fundamental principles of Canon Law regarding baptized non-Catholics are as follows: 1) they are personally bound to observe those canonical laws of the Church which pertain to the common good (e.g., laws concerning matrimonial impediments), because whoever is baptized is a person of the Church (can. 87), and even if they can be deprived of certain rights for heresy or schism or as a penalty, they are not thereby freed from the duties incumbent upon Christians. 2) Accidentally, however, they are excused from the observance of certain canonical laws, inasmuch as they are either positively exempted from them (e.g., from the Catholic form of marriage, except for the children of every baptized non-Catholic baptized in the Catholic Church: CIC, c. 1099, § 2, and the modification introduced in AAS, 40 [1948] p. 305), or are excluded from the faculty of performing certain acts (e.g., receiving the sacraments without first abjuring errors and being reconciled with the Church). When, moreover, it concerns the precepts of the Church that pertain to personal sanctification, such as those of abstinence, fasting, attending Mass on prescribed days, etc., it may be considered probable that baptized non-Catholics are exempt from them (A. Vermeersch-J. Creusen, *Epit. Iuris Canonici*, I, 6th ed., Rome 1937, n. 106; G. Frassinetti, *Compendio della Teologia Morale*, 11th ed., Turin 1938, note 7 to n. 30), although others (e.g., F. Cappello, *Summa Iuris Publici Ecclesiastici*, 4th ed., Rome 1943, n. 280) deny this.
Finally, can. 1350 prescribes that the care of baptized non-Catholics who are found in diocesan or parochial territories pertains to ordinaries and parish priests; whereas for those residing in territories not yet divided into dioceses and parishes, every care pertains to the Apostolic See (see also: apostasy; CULTI AMBISSIS; DISPARITI DI CULTO; ERESIA; INFEDELI; MATRIMONIO; MISSIONI; RELIGIONE MISTA; SCISMA).
For relations between Catholics and non-Catholics, see COMUNICAZIONE NELLE COSE SACRE.