• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Removing my name from the Catholic roster

Zoness

667, neighbor of the beast
Site Supporter
Jul 21, 2008
8,384
1,654
Illinois
✟490,929.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Married
Hi Catholics,

I was baptised and raised Catholic but I've not identified with it in years and now seems as good as any: I'd like the remove my name from the register as a member. Is there an overarching process for this or is it on a per diocease basis?

Thanks!
 

chevyontheriver

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Sep 29, 2015
22,647
19,675
Flyoverland
✟1,351,116.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-American-Solidarity
You find the diocese you were baptized in and you write a letter to the bishop renouncing your faith and you ask them to respond with a confirmation that you have been removed.
 
Upvote 0

Occams Barber

Newbie
Site Supporter
Aug 8, 2012
6,493
7,692
77
Northern NSW
✟1,099,328.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Divorced
You find the diocese you were baptized in and you write a letter to the bishop renouncing your faith and you ask them to respond with a confirmation that you have been removed.

Apparently the act of 'formal defection' (that is; withdrawal) from the Catholic Church was abolished in 2009.

From Wikipedia, Formal Act of Defection from the Catholic Church:

The motu proprio Omnium in mentem of 26 October 2009 removed from the canons in question all reference to an act of formal defection from the Catholic Church.[5][7][8] Accordingly, "it is no longer appropriate to enter attempts at formal defection in the sacramental records since this juridic action is now abolished."[9]

In late August 2010, the Holy See confirmed that it was no longer possible to defect formally from the Catholic Church....
OB
 
Upvote 0

Zoness

667, neighbor of the beast
Site Supporter
Jul 21, 2008
8,384
1,654
Illinois
✟490,929.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Married

This is somewhat annoying but explains the 1 billion figure that's counted for Catholics. That probably means Baptisms and not actual practicing believers.
 
Upvote 0

Zoness

667, neighbor of the beast
Site Supporter
Jul 21, 2008
8,384
1,654
Illinois
✟490,929.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Married
You find the diocese you were baptized in and you write a letter to the bishop renouncing your faith and you ask them to respond with a confirmation that you have been removed.

Thanks for the info! But apparently the process has been done away with. It sounds like I could still write a letter but it's unlikely to be read given there's no workflow for addressing my question.

Thanks anyways.
 
Upvote 0

Zoness

667, neighbor of the beast
Site Supporter
Jul 21, 2008
8,384
1,654
Illinois
✟490,929.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Married
Once a Catholic, always a Catholic. There is no removing a name.
You don’t quit Jesus because of Judas.

Surely if I expressed my opinions about today's Roman Catholic Church you'd not say I was a catholic, though doing such would defy the spirit of my inquiry on this board. Have a nice day!
 
Upvote 0

Occams Barber

Newbie
Site Supporter
Aug 8, 2012
6,493
7,692
77
Northern NSW
✟1,099,328.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Divorced
This is somewhat annoying but explains the 1 billion figure that's counted for Catholics. That probably means Baptisms and not actual practicing believers.
Most counts of Catholic numbers are based on census or survey data rather than any Catholic church records. One obvious problem is how any Catholic record could factor in deaths. Other Christian denomination numbers are also usually estimates based on survey/census data.
OB
 
Reactions: Zoness
Upvote 0

AvilaSurfer

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
May 14, 2015
9,764
4,813
NO
✟1,088,941.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Surely if I expressed my opinions about today's Roman Catholic Church you'd not say I was a catholic, though doing such would defy the spirit of my inquiry on this board. Have a nice day!
Your opinions do not make you Catholic. Your soul’s consecration to Christ at Baptism does.
 
Upvote 0

Mr. Lobster

Member
Aug 27, 2018
21
16
33
Nottingham
✟23,242.00
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
UK-Independence-Party
Surely if I expressed my opinions about today's Roman Catholic Church you'd not say I was a catholic, though doing such would defy the spirit of my inquiry on this board. Have a nice day!
Hello there! I think I’d probably agree with some of your negative opinion of the current Catholic Church. The Churches leadership appears on the outside to have fallen into decadence and sin.

However as was said by the post you quoted; you don’t quit Jesus for Judas.

I hope you find the answers you seek.
 
Reactions: Zoness
Upvote 0

joshua 1 9

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
May 11, 2015
17,420
3,593
Northern Ohio
✟314,607.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
If you want to have your name blotted out of the book of life then just show up with a soiled garment.

"Like them,the one who is victorious will be clothed in white garments. And I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels." Rev 3:5
 
Upvote 0