If one has formally defected from the Church, how does he return?

[lak611]

I have seen some links to Canon Law regarding formal defection from the Church on several other threads. Does anyone know the process that one would need to take if he formally defected but decided at a later point that he was wrong and wished to return to the Church?

 

[Meggie]

confession.
Your sacramental records still exist somewhere.

 

[lak611]

confession.
Your sacramental records still exist somewhere.

It’s not me. I have no intention of leaving. It is a hypothetical question.

But, what I am referring to is when one writes a letter to the Bishop stating he wishes to leave the Church and a tribunal releases him. Would he need to write another letter asking to rejoin and have a tribunal do a hearing?

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

It’s not me. I have no intention of leaving. It is a hypothetical question.

But, what I am referring to is when one writes a letter to the Bishop stating he wishes to leave the Church and a tribunal releases him. Would he need to write another letter asking to rejoin and have a tribunal do a hearing?

Not if he is already fully initiated. If he were not yet confirmed he might have to wait for reception of that sacrament to re-enter full communion, since technically he would be a convert from a Protestant denomination, but I’m not sure if that would be insisted upon or not.

 

[puzzleannie]

sacramental confession, including and especially the act of defection and anything connected with it, plus all mortal sins since the last valid confession. Follow the priest’s advice in case there were matters that resulted in automatic excommunication which may possibly require action from the bishop. Receive absolution, express contrition and perform penance.

 

[rwoehmke]

sacramental confession, including and especially the act of defection and anything connected with it, plus all mortal sins since the last valid confession. Follow the priest’s advice in case there were matters that resulted in automatic excommunication which may possibly require action from the bishop. Receive absolution, express contrition and perform penance.

and get your Baptismal record updated.

 

[PhilipCal]

A formal defection is precisely that, a formal defection. Re admission to Communion within the Catholic Church would essentially be through Sacramental Confession. There may be some additional Canonical requirements, but Confession would be the best place to start.

 

[Digitonomy]

Not if he is already fully initiated. If he were not yet confirmed he might have to wait for reception of that sacrament to re-enter full communion, since technically he would be a convert from a Protestant denomination

Would he technically be a Protestant by virtue of his valid baptism, even if he were actually a Muslim, an Animist, or even a Satanist?

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Would he technically be a Protestant by virtue of his valid baptism, even if he were actually a Muslim, an Animist, or even a Satanist?

I guess “Protestant denomination” was not the best expression to cover all the possibilities of where an individual had in fact come from, but by baptism he would be Christian no matter what his beliefs had been previously, and I think the fact that he is seeking full communion with the Catholic Church would show that he is theologically Christian as well. So I was just assuming that we might treat an incompletely intitiated individual like a non-Catholic Christian entering the Church, and since common parlance typically forgets about the Orthodox I used the first terminology at hand.

 

[PhilipCal]

Hope this will help. In my youth, I strayed from the Church. I even joined a Protestant demonination. I reconciled with Holy Church six years ago, and did so in Sacramental Confession. As a legal point(Canon Law) I never signed a formal declaration of defection etc, from the Catholic Church. Each situation is a little different, and as I said earlier, Confession is a good place to start.

 

[Digitonomy]

As a legal point(Canon Law) I never signed a formal declaration of defection etc, from the Catholic Church. Each situation is a little different, and as I said earlier, Confession is a good place to start.

As a legal point, can those who have formally defected receive the Sacrament of Confession?

Nonetheless, I agree that confession is a good place to start regardless of the circumstances, so the priest can get you headed in the right direction if further paperwork is required.