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Original poster

Has Anyone Successfully Left the Catholic Church?

161 replies

Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:11

Has anyone formally left the Catholic Church and if so how easy/difficult was it? And how did you feel afterwards?

It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. My friends who were baptised Catholic but are now atheist looked a bit shocked, probably because no-one has ever considered it.

This is from a US site, but the procedure be the same in the UK?

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/expresident/how-to-leave-the-catholic-church

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Mabelface · 03/08/2023 13:13

Just don't go anymore? I was raised Catholic and stopped going to church when I was 10.

ExtraOnions · 03/08/2023 13:14

You just stop going

Toombumber · 03/08/2023 13:14

Yeah, after I read The God Delusion when I was in my early 20s, I was pretty riled about still being counted as a Catholic and I wrote a letter (on paper as it was then) to whom it may concern at the church I knew I had been baptised at saying (quite rudely) that I wanted to be removed and they wrote back saying something like 'your comments have been noted and your name has been removed from our records' or something similar. I feel that I was taken seriously.

Original poster
Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:14

Mabelface · 03/08/2023 13:13

Just don't go anymore? I was raised Catholic and stopped going to church when I was 10.

That's not what I'm asking. I want to formally leave.

OP posts:
RocketPanda · 03/08/2023 13:15

Just stop calling yourself Catholic and stop going to the Church. It's as simple as that.

OrangeSlices998 · 03/08/2023 13:15

Surely it’s as simple as just not going to church? If you wish to inform the bishop you can but if you have decided you no longer believe in God then the whole system is meaningless and you can just go on living your life? My question would be why the need for a formal resignation from a church, they don’t take attendance

Iwasafool · 03/08/2023 13:17

I can't see the need. They aren't going to hunt you down, no one will ever know you were Baptised a Catholic unless you tell them.

tescocreditcard · 03/08/2023 13:18

There's no such thing as an ex catholic. If you were baptised a catholic then your a catholic.

Whether you choose to practice or not is up to you.

Aprilx · 03/08/2023 13:19

What do you mean leave? It isn't a thing. I was baptised and confirmed catholic, went to a catholic school, but I am not religious and definitely not catholic. I didn't do anything, there is literally nothing to do.

Daphnis156 · 03/08/2023 13:21

It may involve a visit to the Pope, and exorcism.
I think you can book it on the internet.

LeonardCohensRaincoat · 03/08/2023 13:21

There was a formal process, involving letters from parish priests, to Archbishop on to Rome where I think a note is put by your name that you no longer wish to be considered Catholic. Official forms, etc

In the last few years, it is no longer an option to leave - I guess they were inundated?

https://www.thejournal.ie/count-me-out-closes-because-of-catholic-church-defection-system-chage-1028259-Aug2013/

Website that helps people leave the Catholic Church to cease operations

Over 12,000 people downloaded a Declaration of Defection from CountMeOut.ie, but changes to canon law have made it difficult for the site to operate, a founder says.

https://www.thejournal.ie/count-me-out-closes-because-of-catholic-church-defection-system-chage-1028259-Aug2013/

NooNooTheNotSoGreat · 03/08/2023 13:22

It matters to the OP because she'll be falsely counted as a member even though she no longer considers herself to be one.

As this related article states

"If you stop going to the gym, but retain your membership, you’re only hurting yourself, and your bank balance. By contrast, when you passively let the church count you as a member, you’re doing something more insidious. Because whenever the church exerts political influence, whether it’s in opposing same-sex marriage, or fighting against abortion rights, that influence is bolstered by the huge membership it claims – 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.^ A^ number that’s enormously inflated by the fact that they’re counting everyone who’s ever been baptised. Even though, in the west, the vast majority of those are thoroughly lapsed."

www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/07/i-tried-to-quit-the-catholic-church-but-the-catholic-church-wouldnt-quit-me-now-what

TheFormidableMrsC · 03/08/2023 13:23

I've never heard of this and I come from a vast Irish Catholic family. I stopped going to church when I was 17/18 and if anybody asks I describe myself as a lapsed Catholic. I don't think you need to do anything 🤷🏻‍♀️

Pottedpalm · 03/08/2023 13:26

Maybe contact your parish priest? 😏

YetAnotherSpartacus · 03/08/2023 13:26

It may involve a visit to the Pope, and exorcism.
I think you can book it on the internet.

Sounds like fun!

Where do I sign up?

Do I get to scream in the Sistine Chapel first?

Original poster
Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:27

Daphnis156 · 03/08/2023 13:21

It may involve a visit to the Pope, and exorcism.
I think you can book it on the internet.

That would be quite nice.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:31

Toombumber · 03/08/2023 13:14

Yeah, after I read The God Delusion when I was in my early 20s, I was pretty riled about still being counted as a Catholic and I wrote a letter (on paper as it was then) to whom it may concern at the church I knew I had been baptised at saying (quite rudely) that I wanted to be removed and they wrote back saying something like 'your comments have been noted and your name has been removed from our records' or something similar. I feel that I was taken seriously.

Thanks, it seems quite an easy process? I definitely want to be removed.

www.newstalk.com/news/leaving-catholic-church-a-cathartic-experience-for-some-how-to-do-it-1395019

OP posts:
Original poster
Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:34

LeonardCohensRaincoat · 03/08/2023 13:21

There was a formal process, involving letters from parish priests, to Archbishop on to Rome where I think a note is put by your name that you no longer wish to be considered Catholic. Official forms, etc

In the last few years, it is no longer an option to leave - I guess they were inundated?

https://www.thejournal.ie/count-me-out-closes-because-of-catholic-church-defection-system-chage-1028259-Aug2013/

Interesting and not surprising.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mercurial123 · 03/08/2023 13:38

NooNooTheNotSoGreat · 03/08/2023 13:22

It matters to the OP because she'll be falsely counted as a member even though she no longer considers herself to be one.

As this related article states

"If you stop going to the gym, but retain your membership, you’re only hurting yourself, and your bank balance. By contrast, when you passively let the church count you as a member, you’re doing something more insidious. Because whenever the church exerts political influence, whether it’s in opposing same-sex marriage, or fighting against abortion rights, that influence is bolstered by the huge membership it claims – 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.^ A^ number that’s enormously inflated by the fact that they’re counting everyone who’s ever been baptised. Even though, in the west, the vast majority of those are thoroughly lapsed."

www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/07/i-tried-to-quit-the-catholic-church-but-the-catholic-church-wouldnt-quit-me-now-what

Exactly. Maybe I can become Communist are they still ex communicated? Madonna apparently managed to do it three times, which is quite impressive.

OP posts:
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 03/08/2023 13:39

NooNooTheNotSoGreat · 03/08/2023 13:22

It matters to the OP because she'll be falsely counted as a member even though she no longer considers herself to be one.

As this related article states

"If you stop going to the gym, but retain your membership, you’re only hurting yourself, and your bank balance. By contrast, when you passively let the church count you as a member, you’re doing something more insidious. Because whenever the church exerts political influence, whether it’s in opposing same-sex marriage, or fighting against abortion rights, that influence is bolstered by the huge membership it claims – 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.^ A^ number that’s enormously inflated by the fact that they’re counting everyone who’s ever been baptised. Even though, in the west, the vast majority of those are thoroughly lapsed."

www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/07/i-tried-to-quit-the-catholic-church-but-the-catholic-church-wouldnt-quit-me-now-what

I would have just thought you don't tick the Catholic box anymore when you do your census?

NooNooTheNotSoGreat · 03/08/2023 13:40

The point is that the church still count her as a member, regardless of what she puts on the census or what she tells other people.

TallulahBetty · 03/08/2023 13:40

Daphnis156 · 03/08/2023 13:21

It may involve a visit to the Pope, and exorcism.
I think you can book it on the internet.

😂

NooNooTheNotSoGreat · 03/08/2023 13:40

The church don't base memberships on the census but on their own records.

TallulahBetty · 03/08/2023 13:41

YetAnotherSpartacus · 03/08/2023 13:26

It may involve a visit to the Pope, and exorcism.
I think you can book it on the internet.

Sounds like fun!

Where do I sign up?

Do I get to scream in the Sistine Chapel first?

😂

ExtraOnions · 03/08/2023 13:46

I’m Catholic … maybe we could unbaptise you .. dry your hair instead of wetting it?

There is no central register of Catholics, there is a baptism record, but that’s not going anywhere, that’s a record of an event.

What is it you want ? A piece of paper? To say what ??