[e5man_r_u?]

Exactly!

If you cannot or will not accept the ex cathedra teaching of the Catholic Church you have no right to call yourself a Catholic for political gain.

They can call themselves lapsed Catholics as some do. They can find a congregationalist church somewhere that believes as they do.

[Grut]

They can find a congregationalist church somewhere that believes as they do.

Episcopalian, actually. Otherwise known as "Red Door Catholics."

[muir_redwoods]

My understanding is that such people are regarded as Catholics but the church retains the right to avoid scandal (in it's original meaning of leading others into sin) by refusing the sacraments to such people who hold anathema beliefs and, more importantly, anathema public stances.