Leaving the Catholic Church in Malta

Leaving the Church in Malta

For some brought up in the Catholic Church it is an important point of principle to gain recognition when they decide to leave it, to ensure they are not counted as followers (numbers of which are based on baptism records).
In 2012, a group called ‘Not In Our Name’ attempted to force the deletion of their details from church records. The case was lost, but the principle was established (see ruling of the data protection commissioner) that an annotation should be made to the records, to confirm that the person in question would no longer be considered a member of the Church. https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/22926/church-allowed-to-process-private-data-of-non-catholics-20121126

Fastforward to 2024, and one of our committee members has recently been through the process of officially renouncing the Christian faith. It is somewhat bureaucratic and time-consuming, but wholly achievable and free of charge.

We lay out here how to do it:

• Email the Curia at info@maltadiocese.org stating your intention to leave the Church.
• Once the email is acknowledged, arrange an appointment with the Episcopal Delegate for Evangelisation for an interview, where you will discuss your reasons for leaving the Church.
• After the interview, the Chancellor of the Curia will be informed.
• Arrange a meeting with the Chancellor of the Curia. If this is not forthcoming via the Episcopal Delegate, you can ask for the email address of the Chancellor.
• For this meeting, bring your ID card, baptism certificate, and the completed declaration form (for either male or female, as recognised by church).
• If your baptism certificate is unavailable, your birth date should suffice for your parish to locate and reprint it. You can either visit the parish in person or send your birth date to the Curia, who should assist in retrieving the necessary details.
• We recommend that you email the completed declaration form to the Chancellor before your meeting, for verification, to ensure all details are correct.
• The Chancellor will retain a copy of the baptism certificate. Both parties will sign, and the Chancellor will also stamp the declaration, marking the end of your association with the church.
• The Curia will provide a photocopy of the signed declaration, which serves as the official confirmation that you are no longer part of the Catholic Church.