Do many Catholics leave their church now a days? Where do they go?

Question

The anglican church/Episcopalion seems like the best place. I would really like some more information. Whats the difference?

Answer 1

It depends on the Catholic. Conservative ex-Catholics may become Orthodox or LDS. Liberals could go Episcopal or even Unitarian. It is individuals who leave and they have individual reasons for losing their affinity for the Catholic church. Someone who is hurt by the ruthless application of a precept (e.g. They are refused Communion because they have remarried.), may try for the closest matching experience, say Episcopal or Lutheran. Some may decide that the church is too progressive and seek out a dissident sect such as the Tridentine church. Not progressive enough? Try the Old Catholic church. Or maybe their theology has grown apart from the official line, so they could go anywhere, even a non-Christain faith or none. If they need to leave, it's up to them to do their own research and seek their own path.

The Episcopal church is a close alternative. Episcopal priests who become Catholic often continue as Catholic priests. But there are differences. Some Episcopal synods permit married, women or gay priests. Their understanding of the Eucharist is a bit different. They have no allegiance to the Pope, of course, and their relation to other Anglican churches is complicated. But Mass feels very much the same and most of the theology matches. But again, it's the reasons for leaving that count. Seekers should be seeking an authentic path, not a make-do substitution.

Answer 2

I've come across Catholics who left the Catholic church for atheism and become very anti-Catholic. I've also seen Catholics leave the church for Assemblies of God/Pentacostalism who also become anti-Catholic. Both developed negative views of Catholic teaching. Although the Catholic Church encourages Catholics to read the Bible, have a close relationship with Jesus, and worship only the Trinity, there are Catholics that somehow didn't get the memo, and they leave the Church thinking the Catholic Church teaches otherwise.

If one doesn't want to be Roman Catholic (but doesn't want to be considered to be mortally sinning by leaving the church) they can become a member of the eastern rite churches. The eastern rite churches that are in communion with the RCC are:
ANTIOCHIAN:
WEST SYRIAC- Maronite, Syriac, Malankarese
EAST SYRIAC- Chaldean, Syro-Malabarese

BYZANTINE and ARMENIAN:
Armenian, Albanian, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Czech, Krizevci, Greek, Hungarian, Italo-Albanian, Melkite, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, Slovac, Ukrainian

ALEXADRIAN:
Coptic, Ethiopian/Abyssinian


The difference is that the Catholic Church and the eastern right churches accept the pope. The anglican/episcopalian church does not. The Catholic Church & eastern rights are more conservative, and the episcopal/anglican is more liberal.

Answer 3

Most lapsed catholics simply have realized it is all mindless nonsense and move on to live their lives on their own terms, but they will always be catholics, the catholic world view is permanently ingrained at a young age.

All protestant churchs, particularly Episcopalion, are catholic lite. Henry VIII created the Episcopalion church because the Catholic church would not let him divorce Anne Boelyn, whom he later beheaded, after divorcing her, just in case. Also the catholic church owned a LOT of england after a milenium of acquistion, by making England a non-catholic nation, he could loot and pillage the Catholic church's property in England.
Clever man that Henry.

Answer 4

Catholics in Latin America are leaving the Church in droves. They are being converted by Evangelical Protestant missionaries
Catholics in the United States are going over to the Evangelicals, and in Mexico there is a growing conversion to Islam..

Answer 5

Unfortunately, most Catholics who leave their religion opt for one of the more repressive of the Protestant cults. In all my years as an Atheist, I have only met one Catholic who made the jump to rationality and they were a priest before seeing the light.

Answer 6

My husband left the Roman Catholic Church. Now is a Lutheran (LCMS). He had some basic disagreements w/ some of their interpretations and practices.

Answer 7

To sin, LOL.

Actually I've noticed many Catholics tend to abandon religion completely once they've stopped practicing Catholicism.

Answer 8

You don't see the Vatican filing bankruptcy.
But only a fool needs a church to pray.
The church is only another political crutch to corruption.
You judge your own actions. Find your god from within, not by words written by man (men).

Answer 9

Many, like myself, become Bible believing Christians. I would steer clear of the Episcopalians/Anglicans. They are very liberal and are not considered relevant in Christian circles.

Answer 10

Well, no offense to Catholics, but i know a lot of Catholics who get bored with God, and decide to do foolish things. now, im not bored with God, he gives me life every day, so how could u get bored with him right?