Philosopher's Haze

Excommunication and Defection from the Catholic Church

First of all, there is a very real difference between excommunication and defection. Excommunication is an action taken by the Roman Catholic Church that comes close to fully removing you from the Church, but, in typical Catholic fashion, they leave you with the option of repenting and reclaiming your good standing with the Church. So even if you are excommunicated, you are still counted as a member of the flock.

Defection is different. Also known as Actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica, grants the person seeking it the right to have their name removed from records of the Catholic Church and nullifies your baptismal certificate. Of course, when seeking Actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica, it would be good to include the rationale for your defection. You will also want to know where and when you were baptized.

I first called the priest servicing the Church in which I was baptized to inform him that I would be pursuing the issue. He spoke with the bishop about it and confirmed that all I need to do is provide the priest with a letter, stating my intention to defect, with my baptismal information and reasons for defection. He will then take the letter to the Bishop of the Diocese, have it processed, and I will receive a letter in the mail confirming my defection.

Below is the text, minus personally identifiable information, that I provided to the priest stating my intention to defect (submitted Monday, March 21, 2011):

My name is Brian Bridson. I was baptized at xxxx Catholic Church, in xxxx, Ontario, during late August or early September in xxxx. Becoming Catholic, much less confession, communion and confirmation, were never decisions I made myself; I never chose to be Catholic.

Due to the fact that I never chose to be Catholic, and because I believe that not once has any evidence for the existence of any gods, much less the Christian or Catholic one, I hereby request a formal defection from the Catholic Church (Actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica).

Brian Bridson
xxxxxxxxxx

Thank you for submitting my Actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica.

Brian Bridson

It is short and simple, but all that was needed. Don’t forget to sign (include your signature in) your letter. I will post the letter I receive from the Church when I get it.

_________________________________________________________________

Thursday, March 24, 2011: Just spoke with the priest today. He let me know that the Archdiocese of Kingston accepted the defection. What this means now is he will be requested for a letter for information regarding my baptismal record. He will provide the information and send it back to Kingston, while also removing me from their parish records. Then Kingston removes me from their records and send me a letter confirming my defection.

I will be completely free of the Church as of mid-April. I haven’t been this excited about anything in quite a while. I will post the letter when I get it, on this page – or any news that develops in the meantime (though I am not expecting to have any issues).

________________________________________________________________

Monday, April 4, 2011: Well, I just got my official letter of defection from the catholic church. I won’t be able to get a scan of the document until tomorrow to make it available online, but I am providing the text of the document now.

Dear Mr. Bridson,

I write in reply to your letter of 17 March 2011, in which you ask that we send you a record of your formal defection from the Catholic Church.

I am writing to inform you that such an indication of your renunciation has been made in the baptismal register of St Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Smiths Falls, and in the records maintained at the Chancery Office of the Archdiocese of Kingston.

Permit me to take this opportunity, as well, to wish you well in the future.

Sincerely yours,

(Rev. Msgr.) Joseph Lynch
Chancellor / Vicar General

__________________________________________________________