how do i leave the catholic church officially?

Question

i'm a buddhist, but was raised a catholic.

my mum still believes i am a catholic, as i was baptised as such, but i need some official paperwork to prove i am now no longer a catholic, as i cannot believe in a religion that claims to love everyone, but shuns gay people such as myself.

thank you for you help,
michael.

Answer 1

I was raised Catholic, but am not a practicing Catholic.
As far as I know, there isn't an official paper or document you can obtain from the Catholic church to prove you aren't Catholic. Your word should be good enough. I've known a Buddhist or two and they never mentioned needing official paperwork to prove they were no longer practicing a certain faith. You just don't go to church anymore, or as much if you do not wish to practice Catholicism

Answer 2

Hate to tell you, but to get paperwork like that, you're going to have to get yourself officially excommunicated, letter from the Vatican and all. And believe it or not, that's not as easy as people think. What makes a person an "official" Catholic, in the church's eyes, is a Catholic baptism or converting to Catholicism. And Catholics believe that baptism is something that cannot be undone. Even someone who has been excommunicated will still be considered as having been baptized.

If you do not consider yourself to be Catholic anymore, then that should be enough for others. I'm sorrry your experience with the RCC has been one of shunning homosexuals; it shouldn't be like that but people are stupid sometimes. Buddism is rich religion (philosophy? I never know which is the proper term) and I'm sure it will enrich your life greatly.

The only advice I can offer you is if you were ever registered at any churches, contact them and ask them to remove your name from their current records. If you really really want something in writing, you can try contacting the tribunal of the diocese in which you live and talk to a canon law expert. Don't know how that would work out, but it's worth a shot.

EDIT - Meg M's link is to a valid source.

Answer 3

Go to your local parish priest & ask for an official form.
Fill out a formal declaration & have it filed by the diocese.
But before you do, ask him what is the official position.
The Popes have written that all homosexual persons
are not to be disrespected but treated with dignity.
It is homosexual acts which are considered sinful.
That means you need to confess them & be forgiven.
There are many homosexuals in the Catholic church.
Most of them are trying to lead a chaste life.
An organization called "Courage" is helping them.

Answer 4

Renounce the faith in a signed letter to your bishop, and note that you recognize that you are also rejecting the Catholic theory of salvation. At that point, you've effectively excommunicated yourself.

I honestly don't know why you would bother to do this. You believe yourself to be Buddhist, as it stands, and would this not cause your mother a great deal of anxiety in taking this step? Why needlessly cause this? Buddhists believe in kindness and mercy, and it would be a kindness and a mercy to your mother simply to let this one just roll off your back, much as I'm sure it galls you.

If you believe you are a Buddhist, that should be all that matters to you, I think.

Answer 5

Walk out the door. There is NOTHING to nullify your sacraments (once given they are yours and cannot be removed even by the Church or through excommunication. The sacraments are between you and God administered by the Church not between you and the Church) it is your decision what you do with them.
All it takes to not be Catholic is to say I am not Catholic.

(BTW the Catechism specifically says not to judge or condemn gays. Whoever is doing that is not obeying CHurch teaching. Catechism of the Catholic CHurch 2358 "The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition." )

to become Buddhist you would also not have to believe in one God or Jesus or really most Christian doctrine. So that is your personal negation of your sacraments should you want one.

Why do you want to "prove" something to your mother? Why does it bother you if she wants to believe you are still in a way Catholic. That makes it sound like the whole point is not to "officially" leave the Church but to "prove" something and possibly hurt her in the process.

Answer 6

It might just be the church you were attending but no Christian on the face of this earth has the spiritual right to "shun" anyone. That would be judgment which is a right of God and God alone. However, the bible does teach us to teach in love what the Word of God says. While Christians are not to judge they are also bound to the Word of God which calls homosexuality an abomination/sin. It is the love of God through Christ, His Word (bible), and His Spirit that is supposed to change people who live and or think otherwise.

Answer 7

So Go!
Walk out the door!,
Just turn around now,
Cause you're not Catholic anymore!

But seriously. You are in charge of your life--- no-one else and you certainly don't need to file anything "official" it's none of their damn business anyway. I would say that this is between you and God, if you still believe that it exists in a Judeo/Christian sense. So make your peace with Him/Her/It and then don't look back.

Answer 8

you don't have to do anything. just leave. baptism (as an infant or otherwise) doesn't equal 'salvation for life' baptism is simply supposed to be a public display of an inner decision to follow Christ. if you didn't make the decision to go along with the display, than it means nothing, and therefore, you are not Catholic or christian or anything else. i would however, incourage you to explore other christian denominations that are less judgmental and, at least in my opinion, corrupt. see if you cant find one that will except you and live what they preach. Jesus wouldn't have shunned people because they where sinners (as the bible clearly illustrates) and since we are supposed to model our lives after him, we shouldn't either.

~Aimee Hein

Answer 9

I'm a Buddhist who was raised Catholic as well. I'm afraid the only way is to get ex-communicated and that's pretty difficult to achieve in the Church. I think of myself as a Buddhist and don't worry that my parents/family still think of me as Catholic. I believe it is what lies in the spirit that matters. You aren't Catholic, that's not your present reality. Your mum isn't living in the present really. You understand what I mean. She wants to associate you with the past but mum's do that.

Answer 10

I'm so sorry to hear about your decision. I will pray that you someday comeback to the Church. In no way does the church shun homosexuals as people, the Church accepts all people. But the Church wants you to live a chaste life and stay free from the sins of homosexual behavior for they are against God and the Church. Please read "The Good News About Sex and Marriage," by Christopher West. He talks about JP II Theology of the Body and talk about your situation.

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.