Defect from the Church

If you were ever baptized a Roman Catholic and have not been excommunicated, you are still counted as a member. The Roman Catholic church apparently does not excommunicate its members easily. They say that the reason for this is to leave the way open for reconciliation. However, their thinking is based on irrational belief that you will react as they do to the fear of death and wish to deny reality and embrace an illusion. Even more important, by never giving up a member, the church is able to claim millions as members who do not accept its doctrines, who never attend, who never contribute money or time and who are in fact, opposed to what it stands for. This greatly enhances its power. If you do not wish to contribute to the power of the Roman Catholic church, you do have now an alternative to excommunication. It is called a formal defection or "Actus Formalis Defectionis ab Ecclesia Catholica".

Why should I defect?

Four good reasons.

The Roman Catholic church is misogynistic. Although they may talk about 'cherishing' or 'adoring' womanhood, they mean a master's appreciation of an obedient and docile servant. They do not believe that women are the equals of men. The church funds and works for anti-woman legislation around the world. The Roman Catholics and the Mormons were the primary sources of the funds and lobbying which helped defeat the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States. The church has crippled international development, especially in the neediest countries, by refusing to allow any form of birth control to be discussed. Ireland and other Catholic countries do the church's dirty work by blocking meetings unless all countries submit to Catholic doctrine in matters of birth control. Historically, the church has fostered wife abuse by promoting cultures where any marriage, no matter how bad, was better for a woman than living alone.

The Roman Catholic church is homophobic. In fact, it's worse than that, the proper description of its position is 'pro-natalist'. Any form of sexual behavior that doesn't raise the birth rate is forbidden. Sex as an expression of love and sexual activity for simple pleasure are prohibited or subordinated to the production of little Catholics. Even within marriage the loving exchange of pleasure is a sin. Homosexuality is completely prohibited and is condemned with unusually intense loathing and disgust. (Although priestly pedophilia was very lightly punished, if at all, until recently.) The church has never objected to any punishments, up to and including death, which a society has wished to impose on homosexuals, quite the opposite.

The Roman Catholic Church is antidemocratic, authoritarian and intolerant. Americans, Canadians and others from secular or otherwise non-Catholic countries may refuse to believe this. However, like every religion, the Catholic church, when it is in a minority position, is all in favor of tolerance and democracy. However, when it is in control, as in Ireland or Poland, it shows its true colors. The church is much more comfortable with authoritarian right-wing governments and has historically allied itself with them. If the people in 'Catholic' countries who do not accept the homophobic, misogynistic and intolerant doctrine of Catholicism would take the step of leaving the church, especially in a positive direction towards humanism, the church's power to do harm would be greatly lessened. Historically, the church saw Mussolini and Hitler as bulwarks against atheistic communism and actively supported Spanish dictator Franco. Hitler, although a Catholic, never committed a grave enough sin to merit excommunication. Such an action on the church's part might have saved millions of lives.

When politicians make their decisions, they consider what they think are the demographics of their area: if they perceive that everybody is Christian or supportive of a religious agenda, that is how they will tend to vote. Many of the proselytizing churches' influence is based on the number of members they claim. You will note that the Mormons, for instance, constantly mention their numbers; and, in press releases they like to be referred to as 'fast-growing.' The fact is, that a large percentage of these members are 'inactive,' a church euphemism for people who have stopped coming. Their theory being that although they do not attend services, contribute no time or money, and no longer practice Mormon ways, in their hearts they are still Mormons, and can still be counted as members. The same with JWs, Moonies and Scientologists. Typical 'conversion' enthusiasm lasts about three years, and then cools off.

How do you defect?

Lately, many people have been asking the same question of the Catholic Church and specifically questioned the meaning of Canon Law 1086, § 1, 1117 which states "by a formal act defected from it". So, the President of the "PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR LEGISLATIVE TEXTS" made an inquiry to the "Dicasteries of the Holy See" and after he received the decision of the "Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith" reported his findings to the Pontiff (how pompous is that?).

Anyway, you will need to write a letter to your current parish Bishop. Start your search at www.catholic-hierarchy.org or find your parish's website. Your letter should include the necessary information to meet all of the criteria for defection.

1. You have to be a Roman Catholic. Obviously. In your letter, make them aware of this by telling them the parish where you were baptized and the year. They will need this information to duly note your defection on your baptismal certificate.

2. You must commit a formal act of defection. This act must include three parts: A) an internal act of will; B) an external manifestation of that act; and C) communication of the fact in writing to your local Bishop.

3. You must be aware that this involves a separation from the Church. For them, ignorance of canon law is an excuse. State in your letter that you are aware of this, that you know what the consequences are and that this is what you wish to happen.

Simply write to your Bishop giving the information about the place and date of your baptism, state that you no longer consider yourself to be a Catholic, (or Lutheran, or Methodist) and wish to have your name removed from the church records. Then cite actions you have taken which would be violations of canon law or demonstrate your opposition to church doctrine. Request that they send you confirmation of their actions. See example letter below. Be sure to send your letter by certified mail. This puts them on notice that you are documenting the correspondence.  If you do not receive a reply in a timely manner, send the letter again and state that all correspondence will be posted on the internet if they do not deal fairly with you and the longer it takes, the worse it will reflect on the church. Again, send by certified mail.

Somebody who does this will have this act noted in their baptismal registry, making it official that they are no longer Catholic. From that point on a defected person will be deemed unable to participate in any Catholic rituals such as communion, matrimony, or a Catholic funeral. It's very important that the atheist minority in this country become aware of this process so they have a choice, unlike when they were baptized.

When you get an acknowledgement from the church's actions, send it to the webmaster of the Excommunication Blotter.

Sample Letter

I am writing you to inform of my defection from the Roman Catholic church. I have not attended any church nor donated any money to any church since 19__.

I am a member of the (freethought organization) and former board member as well as their webmaster and contributor to the newsletter.

I have contacted local officials to have crosses removed from public property.

I attended the Godless March On Washington on November 2, 2002.

I have been present at numerous Freethought conventions.

I also maintain my own website about Atheism.

I am aware, and have been told repeatedly, that my actions are an affront to the church and am aware of the penalty.

I hereby renounce all the trappings of religion.

I do not believe that any person is more sanctified than any other, or that any human being should be elevated above another in any way, due to ancestry, race, gender, occupation, belief or for any other reason and will not feign that I do.

As a principled and rational person, it pains me that someone, somewhere may be counting me as an adherent of an irrational superstition which has done and is doing irreparable harm to humanity and with which I profoundly disagree. Please remove my name from the records of the church, and record that I am no longer a Roman Catholic. Please send me confirmation of this action as soon as possible.

Signature___________________________

Mormon:

Resignation Letter

Name Removal Letter

Baptist:

Technically, Baptists do not excommunicate. They do, however, dismiss members. Baptist doctrine provides two ways of dismissal. First is by Letter. This is when a member transfers their membership and asks for a letter. The second is by "Expulsion" or "Exclusion." This may be done when any member refuses to adhere to the Bible, Baptist Doctrine or the Rules and Regulations of that particular Church. In all cases, the disciplinary prescription laid out in Matthew chapter 18 is followed.