I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby and I went to CCD for a couple years in elementary school. I made my First Communion, but then I quit CCD and never made my confirmation. I don't consider myself a Catholic (or a Christian) and haven't gone to church for 10+ years. I don't celebrate Easter and my husband and I don't decorate our home for Christmas. To make my parents happy, I do exchange gifts in their home, but that's it. My question came about after reading that Prince William isn't allowed to marry a Catholic. Now don't jump to any conclusions - I'm happily married and have no secret desire to marry royalty. However, it got me wondering, do you have to be confirmed to be considered Catholic, or just baptized? In a case like this royalty marriage thing, would I be considered Catholic? If so, how do you "undo" a religious decision you never made for yourself, without actually converting to another religion? Besides the royal marriage, are there other times it would matter?
2007-06-24 10:09:02 · 10 answers · asked by PJ 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I didn't think this was relevant, but it seemed to come up in a couple answers, so here's some additional info...
My husband is Jewish, but not very observant. We were married by a (secular) Humanistic Rabbi and since I've committed to a Jewish home and self-identify as Jewish, I'm basically Jewish by the Humanistic standards, but not by the stricter Reform, Conservative or Orthodox movements' standards. I'm more interested in and knowledgeable about Judaism than my DH, but since he's not interested in joining a Reform Temple and we both lean more toward secularism, I haven't seen a point (yet) in converting officially by the Reform standards. (I already know all the details about any children we have not technically being Jewish unless I convert, but if we have children we'll probably adopt anyway, so they'd probably have to go through conversion anyway.)
2007-06-24 11:14:30 · update #1
As far as royalty is concerned you would have to be a practising Catholic to be prevented from marrying William but just non-attendance won't let you off the hook. The Queen/King of England is the head of the Church of England and her/his partner and children must attend church services with the monarch. You would need to adopt a religion to be part of the family and would not be allowed to adopt Catholicism.
This is likely to change in the not too distant future as discrimination on the grounds of religion is illegal in the UK. It needs an act of Parliament, however, to remove this last piece of religious discrimination.
2007-06-24 10:18:53 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Technically, you're a catholic if your name is on a parish register -- and presumably it's on the register of the parish where you were baptized.
It's not necessarily easy to have a name removed from a register; some priests and parish secretaries will say, "okay, sure," others will insist that you sign something to the effect that you've converted to another religion or you're now a member of some other parish.
That's why the catholic church thinks it still has many millions in its North American flock, even as the pews stand empty every Sunday.
And I can't think of any situation where it would matter. You can be married anywhere by a justice of the peace; your birth was recorded, as your death will be, by the local government; and some private company will get the job of putting you in the ground -- no religion required.
So getting your name struck from the register would be, at most, a gesture that means more to you than to the church.
2007-06-24 10:21:54 · answer #2 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think to renounce a former faith, besides just leaving it and not participating in it anymore (walking away from it), if you want something a little more formal you simply say "I hereby renounce my membership in the Catholic (or whatever) religion." You can say that yourself or in front of witnesses if you like.
Now, there MIGHT be a procedure in the Catholic Church that you can actually go through to leave it, maybe a sort of vow that you have to say in which you renounce the Catholic Church forever, or something. In any case, it would mean that you had actually formally left the Church and they would have it on record as being true. Of course in their eyes you'll be condemned to hell if you do, but at least it would be on record.
Not sure if they have something like that though, you'd have to ask a priest.
If they don't you could always just write a letter to the local Diocese stating that you hereby renounce the Catholic faith.
The only ones who can't do that are Jews, who are Jews if their mother was, no matter what. Even if they convert to another religion they still remain Jews by birth, even if not JewISH by religion anymore.
2007-06-24 10:18:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
IMO you're not Catholic unless you consider yourself to be Catholic. You don't sound Catholic to me( not to offend you) but since you don't go to church, don't consider yourself to be Catholic, and never "finished" the process of confirmation & CCD classes, then technically you probably are not "full fledged" even tho your family raised you in that general upbringing... I don't know that it really would matter unless you wanted a Catholic wedding, which I understand to be particularly nit-picky about these things.... and you are already married, so it shouldn't matter. If you choose to return to church, you should be able to return to the Catholic church if you wanted to,... or not.
2007-06-24 10:20:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a Catholic myself, I would say you're only an Catholic if you consider yourself one. If it bothers you that much that you were baptized, there are atheist organizations who perform "un-baptizing" ceremonies. Good luck. Live a good life, and it ultimately won't matter what you believe in.
2007-06-24 10:18:16 · answer #5 · answered by Dan L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By baptism you are Catholic and part of the Church, what God wants from you is love and appreciation for all the gifts He has given to you.
Go to confession, because you'll need it.
I'll pray for you.
With the further information you provided it's clear that you are an apostate.So your problem is solved. Apostates have already left the Church.
Unless you repent you will not be able to enter heaven.
2007-06-24 10:13:53 · answer #6 · answered by carl 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Yes you are catholic, and will remain i guess, i dont think you can undo it, talk to a priest maybe he can help you or ask God himself if you can stop being His beloved child.
2007-06-24 10:16:49 · answer #7 · answered by spiksander 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Catholic church counts you as one of them, even if you 'convert', they still count you.
2007-06-24 10:34:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you actually have to be going to Church and believing in it to be Catholic.
If you have been married outside of the Church you must do more than go to confession.
2007-06-24 10:15:55 · answer #9 · answered by Midge 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
May I direct you www.gotquestions.org.
2007-06-24 10:19:12 · answer #10 · answered by an ambassador for risen Christ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋