Symbolically leave the Catholic church (or any other church) in 3 easy steps
1. Enter your name in the comments section below
2. Include a message of your reason for defecting
3. enjoy your freedom!
In Ireland there used to be a way to formally record that you were no longer a Catholic and require the church to record that fact. Over 12,000 people started this “Declaration of Defection” process. But in April 2011 the Catholic Church changed church law and removed the option to record formal defections.
Cormac Flynn, Paul Dunbar and Grainne O’Sullivan were the pioneers of CountMeOut.ie who took on the church and we salute them. They closed CountMeOut.ie after church law was changed to frustrate people trying to record their defection. Atheist Ireland took over the project and maintains the data under the title NotMe.ie.
NotMe.ie believes that if people tell the church they have defected then it should take a reality check and listen to them and correct their records. Young infants do not have a choice when they are baptised but adults have the right to set the record straight.
NotMe.ie lets you informally and symbolically leave the Catholic Church (or any other church). It has no impact on the Catholic Church’s view of your religious standing but is a way to identify as not Catholic.
This symbolic gesture supports the idea that the Catholic church (and other churches) should be accountable and should respect the rights of people who do not want to be associated with the church. It does not signify or support atheism or humanism, as many religious people also reject the Catholic church (or other churches) and/or support church accountability.
You can follow these links to read the reasons of more than 2,000 people who have signed up to date.
Names 1-500 | Names 501-1,000 | Names 1,001-1,500 | Names 1,501-2,000 | Names 2,001-2,500
Just leave a comment below with your name and your reason for defecting, and we will record it on this website. If you want to remove your name, send us an email and we will do so.
61 Comments
I no longer accept the teachings of Christianity, nor the Roman Catholic interpretations of those teachings. I was baptised as an infant when I had no understanding of the ritual.
im leaving because it is rotten to the core
Iâm out!
I was baptised against my will and don’t believe in any god, nor do I want to remain a part of an institution that abused women and children throughout this country’s history.
I was baptised without my consent as a baby and forced into the catholic religion. I have always been an atheist and I reject all teachings of the catholic church. I do not want to have any form of association with them and wish for my name to be removed from their records.
I am a non-binary polygamous pagan Irish survivor of abuse. The church has repeatedly encouraged my grandparents to deny me rights and safety – voted against divorce while their own daughter had to avail of divorce abroad to get away from her DV & attempted murderer husband. Voted against same sex marriage while 3 of their grandchildren are queer. Voted against Abortion rights when their children have availed of them. It never ends. It’s hypocrisy. I was told to read my Bible when I asked questions, so I did and then I was accused of being sinful for questioning after I read the Bible. There’s no sense. Organised religion is a way of control. Be your own priest. Worship your own Gods. Create a tulpa. Embrace nature. We at least have evidence of The Sun to worship, let’s return to that!
Organised religion is based on magic and pure fanaticism, stories from thousands of years ago. Yes I believe that Jesus was a person, Krishna was person, Mohammed was a person, but none of them are the word of âGodâ. There is no god. You can have faith, and if thatâs you then do your thing, believe what you want, thereâs no need to judge others based on beliefs and hearsay. There is no god, no afterlife, so stop preaching to the masses. There is science, it was her before and it will be here longer than all us. So, to the Catholic Church, let us leave officially.
I am leaving as it was never my choice to join in the first place. I consider myself a priestess of the morrigan and put my faith in her.
I recognise that while there must be higher power in the universe, it is not God as defined by the Catholic Church or any other religion. The Catholic Church is an abhorrent organisation. The level of abuse, manipulation, control, scaremongering and cover up since itâs initiation is unacceptable. Watching the hatred that organised religion incites across the world is harrowing, we have forgotten that before any religious beliefs, we are all humans. Those who canât co-exist in peace are dangerous and the root cause of so much of the horror we see globally today and in the past.
I am certainly no longer a Catholic.
It gives me great peace knowing my little boy will never experience being forced into any religion, it will be his choice when heâs of age.
I believe the world would be better if religion never existed.
As a gay man, I canât in good conscience ever consider myself a Catholic. It does not align with my values and beliefs.
I hereby disassociate and defect from the ‘Holy’ Catholic Church of Ireland, as of today, the 14th July 2025.
To the so called ‘Church’, I will say this:
Don’t you ever lecture anyone ever again about sin.
I just watched Small Things Like These and have seen the Magdalene laundries and it makes me sick to my stomach what these woman suffered. The countless other abuses of the church is an endless list of horrors and there is a serious lack of acknowledgement from the church on the crimes their institution perpetuated. The sisters would not compensate the victims and denied that they were being abused. The power and stranglehold the church has had over Irish society has gone on for too long. I am ashamed at what happened on our beautiful little island. Thankfully Ireland is become more and more secularised and long may it continue.
Words really aren’t needed.
I was baptised as a baby without my permission.
Today, Catholics, Christians and jews are bombing Palestine, funded by western civilization, murdering thousands of children using gods word as an excuse. The Bible and other texts are always changing to keep up with the morality of the times. God could be real but I believe religions to be fake interpretations of what was meant for us humans and all living beings.
I was indoctrinated into this corrupt,mysoginistic and abusive organisation as a child with no understanding of it or consent. I now sever all connection with the Catholic Church.
I don’t want to identify as Jesus Christ. I will not be spiritually abused because of my (former) beliefs. I will not be food or wine, I am not on the menu.
I am 60. Catholicism is a disgusting bastardisation of what was once true Christianity. the Crimes of the Catholic church going back to the Inquisition prove to me this dreadful religion could not be Christianity. The sexual abuse of thousands of children in Ireland also prove that this is not a religion of God. Catholicism just screams Roman Empirism. The disgusting practice of the vestal virgins in Roman times has been carried forward in the form of the nunhood. Early popes used to have huge orgies including children. The early poses even abused their own children born from orgy participants. My mother was brought up in British India and was severely physically abused by Catholic nuns. I have zero respect for any of them and will be worshipping my God Yahweh in as biblical way as possible from now on.
I wish to be removed, I have lived as an atheist my whole adult life. I could not make my own decision being Christened and I should be able to remove myself from a defunct and archaic patriarchal system that doesn’t serve our modern world.
I am removing my name and my soul from the Vatican and the Catholic Church. I hope that this message carries all the energy it needs to officially remove me from their grasp. I was just a baby when I was baptized and a child when I made my communion and confirmation. I feel like that should be enough to allow me my freedom. The fact that they tried to prevent us from ever officially leaving speaks volumes and I donât think I need to say anymore due to the self explanatory attempt of control which they try to have. I wish that my name will be removed. Amen
I was baptised Catholic as a baby, and only a child when I made my communion and confirmation. I believe in the importance of inclusivity and equality for all individuals on this planet. The Catholic Church clearly does not.
I would like to know the process for formally disaffiliating from the Catholic Church.
If I am not provided with the opportunity to remove my name on the Catholic register.
I hereby disassociate and defect from the Catholic Church of Ireland, as of today, the 17th October 2025.
I hereby disassociate and defect from the Catholic Church of Ireland, as of today, the 17th October 2025.
I never consented to be baptised in the first place.
MY reason I consider myself a atheist/humanist no longer belief anything religion says not even a higher power or god I stand on that as well its not for me I didn’t like being catholic never go to mass anymore and never will be back.
I’m done with it end off.
I was terrified of Catholic Church as a child, âsmall things like theseâ summed it up. Thankfully, my kids go to primary school without religion. Iâll never understand how women could support Catholic Church now, after mother & baby homes etc Thankfully, people got the power to fight back and stop the abuse for future generations.
I no longer accept the teachings of Christianity or their Roman Catholic interpretation. My baptism occurred when I was an infant and unable to comprehend its significance.
Iâm leaving due to the clown show in de Vatican and the evil itâs been involved in like hiding Nazis after WW2 and the support of such groups still today, itâs WEF controlled and not my religion thanks, I love Jesus Ann shall worship him my own way! After the âsafe and effectiveâ lie Iâm gone. Russian Orthodox Church is more what I want, not pervert driven agenda.
I hate The Satanic Terror.
I was baptized into the Roman Catholic sect against my will. I am absolutely ashamed to be a Catholic in this church today.Where is the god in all of the sexual abuse by priests,bishops having babies and over 800 babies found dead,some buried in sewer pipes? When I had my beautiful daughter in 1987 a nun in the Bons Secure hospital in Cork told me that I was a sinner and my baby was a sin and we would both go to hell!
Where is the god in this? Count me out ââïļ
I’m leaving because I was never asked if I wanted to join in the first place
So long and thanks for all the fish!
(Non-Practicing since September 2008)
I hereby register my defection from the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Reasons for leaving include a lack of scientific evidence for the Biblical events and persons that have been claimed to have taken place or existed. The abuses commited by cleregy who were ordained to carry out the Lord’s work.
I don’t see myself as Catholic. I defected in 2013 from the Catholic Church in Winston Salem NC in the dicoese of Charlotte, United States.
I hereby defect from the Catholic Church, I was never wilfully part of it anyway and the disgusting revelations of the Tuam baby home are the final straw, I want nothing to do with this cult.
Count me out. I was baptised without my consent. Catholicism, like all Abrahamic religions, is deeply flawed and rotten at its core.
I am a non-cognitivist. I do not wish to be aligned with any organisation or cult particularly one as dogmatic, inflexible, abusive and utterly corrupt as the Catholic church from which it seems there is no official escape.
How can I relate to somebody who doesn’t speak? I’m out!
Not me as I’m atheist.
I’ve been out mentally for over 40 years but I’m delighted to at least do it now symbolically. Thanks for the opportunity.
All religions are santa for grown ups!
Non practicing since 1994 – Want no association with this church or its teachings. The bible says at Revelation 18:4 – 8 Tells us to get out of her if we do not want to share in her sins. Her sins have massed clear up to the heavens.
I have no imaginary friends
Because I am considered a second class citizen as a female. For all the women who went before me who were put down and locked up. Because its all based on a lie.
I donât think organised religions based on blind faith are good for human society. They are ultimately a form of division, when humanity should strive to find and focus things that unify and unite peoples, to form a true global society.
If everyone simply followed the mantra of âbe kindâ the world would be a better place
I’ve been an agnostic atheist since I was about 8 years old, I was inspired by Carl Sagan and his writings.
I came to the conclusion that at that age that the concept of an anthropomorphic deity was ludicrous and a perspective aligned with the physical laws of the universe backed by evidence rather than faith made more sense to me.
I had no option to attend my Catholic Confirmation, but after the ceremony was complete I said to my Parents “I’m done with religion, no more”, I’ve never looked back, was like pulling the curtain in Wizard of Oz, no more fear!
I do not believe in God’s and wish to leave a church I had no choice in joining in the first place.
The Catholic Church is full of rape and greed. I want no part of it. Nor shall I ever worship a man. I hail myself and no one else. Hannah – cork.
Because it’s imaginary make-believe based on historical ignorance and superstition. This one life we have on earth is all there is so make the most of it. I don’t need to believe in any imaginary sky fairies.
My belief in this religion was never a choice of mine. As I grew older I found it to a religion that controlled people. Controlled women’s bodies and took advantage of children and who it could. It shamed people, took away rights to women for working making out they neglect their children. Make women out as less than or bad sad or mad. Harsh punishment in schools with beatings
I left in 1994. Got my babtisimal cert back with an X through it. And am no longer on the Catholic register as I checked. Delighted…
I was living a lie from a young age, I came out as an agnostic atheist around 11 or 12.
I am sick of this.
The last magdalene laundry closed only in 1996. State sanctioned forced labor institutes for any woman who dared to speak or exist in a way the Catholic Church disapproved. Young girls & women often kidnapped on the street & sent here. This is our very recent past & can be our future if we continue to let this horrific institution control 90% of schools!!! Separate church & state!
I donât want to be part of a religious organization that mistreated millions of people over centuries. Thank
I leave as I feel its unjust and unkind to exclude queer people in the church. The emphasis on sinning and shame and that we need the church to help us in the broken world.
I did not get a choice in the religion I was baptised as an infant into it and I now reject the Catholic faith. Count me out!
I hereby denounce the Catholic Church and all its evil-doing. I believe in Gnostic Christianity. The church today is a perversion of the TRUTH. Marianne Foody.
I am defecting from the RCC, as I do not feel welcome A. being a gay man and B. being a practicing witch.
I am free!
This is a club built on centuries of lies, greed, hypocrisy, and abuse. The crimes of this organization are a stain on humanity. I, like millions of others, was signed up for this club against my will, and I reject it in the strongest terms.
I no longer wish to be a member of the Roman Catholic church.
I left the Catholic Church years ago, and I am so happy to have found a way to declare that decision publicly