ase ▁this ▁mark , ▁even ▁if ▁sin ▁prevents ▁bapt ism ▁from ▁bearing ▁the ▁f ruits ▁of ▁salv ation ." ▁ ▁Even ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁c ensure ▁known ▁as ▁ex communic ation ▁does ▁not ▁in ▁itself ▁make ▁a ▁person ▁an ▁ex - C atholic ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁Church : ▁ex communic ated ▁persons ▁are ▁" cut ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁Church ", ▁bar red ▁from ▁receiving ▁the ▁E uchar ist ▁and ▁from ▁taking ▁an ▁active ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁lit ur gy ▁( reading , ▁serving ▁at ▁the ▁alt ar , ▁etc .), ▁but ▁they ▁remain ▁C athol ics ▁according ▁to ▁Church ▁doctrine . ▁They ▁are ▁ur ged ▁to ▁retain ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁Church , ▁as ▁the ▁goal ▁is ▁to ▁encou rage ▁them ▁to ▁rep ent ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁active ▁participation ▁in ▁its ▁life . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Christians ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁many ▁Christians , ▁including ▁cler gy ▁and ▁even ▁some ▁b ish ops , ▁were ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁la psi ▁( th ose ▁who ▁had ▁sli pped ▁and ▁fell ) ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁st antes ▁( th ose ▁who ▁stood ▁firm ). < ref >[ https :// books . google . com / books ? id = 6 UT fm w _ z St s C & pg = PA 3 8 9 ▁ ▁Frances ▁Margaret ▁Young , ▁Margaret ▁Mary ▁Mitchell , ▁K . ▁Scott ▁B owie ▁( edit ors ), ▁The ▁Cambridge ▁History ▁of ▁Christian ity '] '