Defection from Communion with the Catholic Church by a Formal Act Cover Image

Odpadnutie od spoločenstva s Katolíckou cirkvou formálnym úkonom
Defection from Communion with the Catholic Church by a Formal Act

Author(s): Vojtech Vladár
Subject(s): Theology and Religion
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: Catholic Church; Formal Act of Defection; Membership; Canon Law; Legislative Changes; Circular Letter; Omnium in mentem; Legal Effects; Theology; Church Tax

Summary/Abstract: Issues concerning leaving the Catholic Church are still very much current at this time, especially in European states with an instituted Church tax. Assuming the characters of the formal act of defection from the Catholic Church are met, individual legal effects connected with such acts are also in the area of marriage law, which represented the exception from the established principle of "once a Catholic, always a Catholic". These questions also, due to the vagueness of the legal definition of this institution, infringed on the printion from the established principle of "once a Catholic, always a Catholic". These questions ciple of legal certainty in a number of aspects. The universal lawgiver proceeded on this account to its specification in 2006, with this also being reflected by the rules of particular canon law, and in 2010 to its abrogation. When considering leaving the Catholic Church, the numbers did not decrease drastically in the majority of countries. Regardless of the name of the given institution, a Catholic does not stop being a member of the Church and is henceforth bound by its rules, according to the theological and doctrinal conclusions, as well as the valid canon-law regulations. The main goal of this article is to define the basic concepts, point out the various controversies connected with the application of the institution of the formal act of defection and the coherent legislative changes, including their impact on particular Church practice.

  • Issue Year: XIX/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 125-150
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Slovak