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Fabrizio wrote:

Hi, guys —

Greetings, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I wrote to you about 7-12 months ago asking how to formally remove my name from the Catholic registrar and leave the Church. I don't want to do anything nasty to the Eucharist in order to be excommunicated. LOL

You asked me to take some time to consider my actions and I did so but after several months
I chose to leave Catholicism. I was born in Rome, Italy and sprinkled with water in Saint Peters Basilica, Vatican City back in 1968. I then travelled to Australia as a baby with my parents and have been here ever since.

My whole family is Catholic and I have told them of my change of heart. In June this year I was baptized for the first time in the name of Jesus Christ and have been part of the Body of Christ, Bride of Christ and Bible-believing Virgins and Saints. I have the original Vatican certificate which my parents signed and created a joinder without my knowledge because of my age back then.

I could not have legally entered into any contract or joinder at that age which makes it null and void anyway but I wish to separate my name from this certificate and the Church respectively.

I know the Church does not like to remove names from the Church registrar but I really have to insist.

  • Do you have an address I could write to or somewhere I could send the certificate back to?

I must receive confirmation of my name being removed from all and any documentation in the Catholic Church.

God Bless You and thank-you for understanding and respecting my decision.

Fabrizio

  { How do I sent back my baptismal certificate back to the Church and receive confirmation? }

Mike replied:

Dear Fabrizio,

You are more than welcome to make any choices you think are in your best spiritual interests, but I have to clear up some misperceptions you had in your question.

You said:
In June this year I was baptized for the first time in the name of Jesus Christ and have been part of the Body of Christ, Bride of Christ and Bible-believing Virgins and Saints. I have the original Vatican certificate which my parents signed and created a joinder without my knowledge because of my age back then.

I could not have legally entered into any contract or joinder at that age which makes it null and void anyway but I wish to separate my name from this certificate and the Church respectively.


For one who considers himself a Bible Christian, I was surprised by what you said here. Luke makes it very clear in several place in the Acts of the Apostles that whole families were baptized as does St. Paul. Jesus Himself talks about the importance of children. He didn't have to specifically mention or write down the ages of the children because the underlying assumption is that all the children were baptized for their own salvation and well being. After all Jesus did say:

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. — Mark 16:16

Because of the necessity of baptism for salvation, your parent spoke for what was best for you when you were an infant, just like the early Christians did.

Baptism to be administered to children — Infant Baptism

Matthew 8:5ff
servant healed because of centurion's faith
Matthew 15:21ff
daughter healed because of the Canaanite woman's faith
Matthew 18:14
It is not the will of God that children be damned.
Matthew 19:14
Let the children come to me.
Mark 10:14
Let the children come, for such is the kingdom of Heaven.
Luke 7:1ff
Just say the word, and let my servant be healed.
Luke 18:15-17
people were bringing even infants to him ... whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.
John 3:5; Mark 16:16
(No one enters heaven without baptism of water and spirit.)
Acts 16:15
Paul and Silas baptize Lydia and her whole household.
Acts 16:30-33
Paul and Silas baptize a prison guard and his whole family.
Acts 18:8
Crispus, his family, and other Corinthians are baptized.
Romans 5:18-19
All are born with Adam's sin and need baptism.
1 Corinthians 1:16
I baptized the household of Stephanas.
Colossians 2:11-12
Baptism has replaced circumcision.
See also: - Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15, Acts 2:39, 1 Corinthians 15:22

St. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 215 A.D.)
"Baptize first the children; and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them."
(The Apostolic Tradition 21)
Origen (post 244 A.D.)
"The Church received from the Apostles the tradition of giving baptism also to infants." (Commentary on Romans 5, 9)
St. Cyprian of Carthage (252 A.D.)
This council [ Council of Carthage ] condemned the opinion that infants must wait until the eighth day after birth to be baptized, as was the case with circumcision. (St. Cyprian of Carthage, Letter 64 (59), 2)
  • Why are children baptized as infants?

For the same reason your parents baptized you as a baby and brought you into the Body of Christ: for your own eternal good and salvation. If you wish to deny that you were baptized as a baby, that's your choice, but it's kind of silly: it's like denying the sun rose today in Australia.

You may be more intellectually challenged and learning more at a Protestant Bible church than at your current Catholic parish but that doesn't deny the historical fact that Jesus founded one Church on St. Peter, the Catholic Church.

I can't stop you from doing whatever you wish with your baptismal certificate but I know there are millions of Catholics who would do anything to have their baptismal certificate from the Vatican.

As to where to send it: There is no place to return baptismal certificates. Once you are a Catholic, you are a Catholic for life, whether you leave the Church, or not.

Like my colleague Eric said, it's like your last name: it will always stay with you. Even if you legally change it, job applications will require you to list all the previous names you have gone under.

You said:
I must receive confirmation of my name being removed from all and any documentation in the Catholic Church.

If the reasoning behind this is associated with joining an organization that is hostile to the Church or an anti-Catholic organization, again, there is no way to remove your name from any list, other than at the parish level.

Even if you join an organization that is hostile to the Church, the Church will still view you as a Christian because baptism cannot be undone.

I hope this answers your question.

I'll keep you and your spiritual journey in my prayers.

Mike

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