What is the actual process to follow to formally leave the Catholic Church?

Question

As a child, I was baptized and forced to attend years of catechism classes, until I was confirmed a member of the Catholic church. I don't agree with Catholicism and I was forced to complete this induction into the church by my parents. Now I'm 24 and I wish to remove myself, formally, from the church.

Answer 1

Ben N two above has it right.

However, I do want to add a few things.

1. Only the local ordinary can determine if you have truly apostatized (defected) and it is ruled according to what Ben N said above.
2. This is completely different than simply leaving your local Church. Even though both instances result in excommunication, defection is the shutting of the door by yourself. In normal excommunication, the Church does not shut the door. In fact, the Church will never shut the door.
3. I am sorry to tell you but the Church will always recognize you as a Catholic. Once you have been baptized, according to Catholic Doctrine you are eternally a Catholic. Even if the baptismal registry has "formal defection" next to your name, your name is not removed from the lists. You would simply be a defected Catholic. The Church believes that she does not have the power to undo your baptism.
4. Formal defection is not a cool thing to do. Spiritually it is very very unhealthy to do. If you are going to leave (and I suggest that you don't) just leave and don't give the Church the finger.
5. Let me suggest that your disbelief in Catholicism might be due to a lack of education, a problem that is rampant in the US dioceses over the last 30 or so years. Do some serious looking into history and reading the works of truly Orthodox Catholics. If you want a list I will give you a list.

May God bless you!

Answer 2

If you wish to leave, then leave.

There is no "formal" process to doing so, just don't go.

I find it odd that you were "forced" to attend catechism classes. . . once you start, you are old enough to make the decision to continue on your own, and should have answered in front of the congregation that this is what you wanted to do.

However, people change, as do circumstances and perhaps The Church doesn't meet your expectations for one reason or another. I would like to challenge you, though, to find out what it is about the Church that you do not agree with and why. Perhaps you have been given some misinformation about certain things (spend enough time on this site and it will certainly become clear that 99% of the people who aren't Catholic don't know what Catholicism means).

If you still decide that being Catholic isn't for you, go in peace and find a church that meets your expectations.

Answer 3

There is no formal process, as others have said. Simply not going suffices. If you're feeling really anti-catholic you can stipulate in your will that no Catholic services be held for you.

If you're considering excommunication, keep in mind that in the eyes of the church, once a Catholic, always a Catholic. Excommunication simply means you're a Catholic who has forfeited all (spiritual) privileges the church confers, at least until you repent and beg the church for forgivenss.

Of course, you'd have to do some fairly drastic things to even make the excommunication radar, like attacking the Pope, or using the host for black magic rituals. Of the nine total reasons for excommunication listed in the Codex Juris Canonici, "heresy, apostasy or schism" is probably the easist to accomplish. Just join some other church and you've automatically excommunicated yourself.

Answer 4

1) Decide to leave the Church (which supposes an act of heresy, apostasy, or schism),

2) Put this decision into effect ("realize" it), of your own free will and not under any duress or pressure from others to make this decision.

3) Manifest this decision externally by submitting it in writing to the the local bishop or one's pastor, and

4) Get the Ordinary or pastor to agree that you really have performed the act of will to leave the Church described above and thus committed heresy, apostasy, or schism.

It is then to be noted in the parish baptismal register that you have so defected.


See the April 5, 2006 memorandum from Bishop Skylstad, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent to all bishops regarding "Notification from Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on the actus formalis defectionis"

Commentary by Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers and Ed Peters a Church Canon Lawyer.

Answer 5

i trust like i became born into Catholicism, I by no potential chosen it. transforming into up i became continually taught that Catholicism is the authentic faith and all others are incorrect or pretend without easily studying about them (Went to a Catholic popular college and secondary). i imagine that is a complete shame and individuals must be able to chosen their very personal faith even as they attain a particular age extremely than being easily born into one. i'm as disgusted because the subsequent individual about the clerical abuse contained in the Catholic Church yet i imagine human beings bypass slightly OTT on it often times. they look to imagine that maximum clergymen were in contact contained in the abuse and the cover united statesit extremely is ridiculous. extra instructors are excited by sexual abuse than clergymen/nuns are. I do imagine that the Vatican has way way way too a lot funds and its assisting no individual the position that is. i'm an agnostic-atheist yet I do bypass to mass a week to keep my mum and dad who're fairly religious satisfied. i do not imagine i'm sacrificing my beliefs right here or something, I purely imagine that sitting in a construction staring into area for 40mins once a week isn't asking a lot in change for my family individuals's happiness. because the others have suggested, i do not understand the way you ought to formally leave the church except you're replacing to a unique faith. purely complete secondary college and my faith instructor became a clergyman. Having to hearken to him about how abortion, IVF and how living at the same time in the previous marriage is evil and incorrect became no longer a delightful journey. The church homes teachings are alienating such multiple human beings, multiple them youngsters and the church fairly needs to be remodeled if it holds any desire of persevering with right here.

Answer 6

Go up and tell your priest you're an atheist!

I honestly don't know though! My parent's did the same to me, and are making me do the same to my child whenever it is born, even though I don't agree with the church, but over here you have to be baptized to get into a school (oh don't you just love Ireland!).

The priest from my parish is quite funny though, he knows my aunt is an atheist, and at my grandda's last rites they where arguing loads but it was so funny, cause the priest smokes like a chimney, drinks like a drunk, and swears like a bum! Plus his mass' only last 15 minutes cause he's always dying for a smoke! (My grandda's funeral was the last time I was in a church, few weeks ago, but before that it was my confirmation 10 years ago).

Answer 7

A few years ago my family decided to leave the Catholic Church (we are all now Unitarian.) My mother joined the Lincoln Nebraska (even though we don't live anywhere near Nebraska) chapter of Call To Action, because in 1996 they had been the target of a "class action" excommunication. She now considers herself excommunicated!

Answer 8

There is no process. I was raised as you, but Lutheran. I memorized the commandments, the Creed, etc. and what is meant by this.

The separation from church will hurt the people who raised you more than you. But you never will forget what you were taught.

Take care,
Buster

Answer 9

Get married to the wrong guy/girl (in the catholic church) and then get a divorce, you will be disavowed for breaking the sacriment of mariage.

Answer 10

Just stay away.


Consider this:

Christianity? Jesus? Dying?

What is the Imacculate Conception supposed to mean?

(NOT A VIRGIN BIRTH! - betcha never knew that.)

Jesus, the basis of Christianity? .

If Jesus died, he could NOT have been God.

Gods do not die? Do they?

If Jesus 'died' on Friday and 'undied' on Sunday, what else besides Saturday was sacrificed?

Did Jesus give up Saturday for us? Big deal!

If Jesus died for our sins, there should not be any more sins, else why go through with it?.

If Jesus really DIED, he should be dead, dead, dead!

If you swallow this stuff, you are not going to like the folks who don't. You want them to swallow it too.

Christians want everyone to convert to their non-thinking in order to be 'saved'.

Believing and not thinking is like choosing a mental illness and becoming lost.