Can you re-enter the catholic church after leaving?

Upvote:2

I recently learned that if someone is excommunicated from the church it does not mean that they are condemned but rather holds a view that is contrary to what the Catholic Church teaches. Once the person has come to a point of reconciliation with the church the excommunication is lifted and the person will be in full communion once again. Find a Priest that you trust, and sit down and talk to him.

Upvote:8

You can certainly re-join the Catholic Church. Your baptismal record should not have been wiped out; I believe parishes are required to keep records of all baptisms that were ever performed there. I wouldn't be surprised if the same goes for confirmations, but I'm not sure. To the best of my knowledge, all you need to do is to go to confession, confess all your sins since your last confession, and you're all set.

Upvote:10

I believe I have the confirmation letter stating that I left the church....

This is a serious issue. From what you say, I am assuming that you have formally defected from the Catholic Church. By law, this act would have been entered in your baptismal register.Actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica If this is true, then just going to confession would not be sufficient.

I guess I got wiped-out from the registers.

This is impossible. They will still have your records. Please check with them. The actual details cannot be deleted from the Register. (Remembering the date of your baptism will help you a lot in rejoining the church)

Can I re-join the catholic church after leaving it?

Yes you can. But to know how to do this you have to contact your parish priest. Preferably the one at the parish where you got baptized. The rules change from diocese to diocese.

If you meet the conditions of excommunication (automatic or otherwise - ie., apostasy, heresy, or schism, or some combination of those), then you would also need to have the excommunication remitted. But remember that even an excommunicated Catholic is still a Catholic. You really need to talk to your parish priest about this.

But you don't have to go thru RCIA and you don't have to be baptized again.

Do I still have the right to a catholic wedding & funeral in the future?

If you re-join, you will have those rights. But make sure that you have set the records straight and "regularize" your status with the Church. The records in your baptismal register should be amended to note your return.

How does God see me after leaving the catholic church?

You are still a child of God. God still loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. Never forget the Father figure in the parable of prodigal son:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. - Luke 15:20

It is the father who saw the son first. Son was just walking, but the father ran towards his son with compassion for him.


[P.S: By the changes which came into effect by the motu proprio Omnium in mentem dated 26 October 2009, it is no longer possible to attempt a formal defection. But public defection (defected notoriously) is still possible]

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