List of former Roman Catholics

This page lists individuals in history who were at least nominally raised in the Roman Catholic faith and later rejected it or converted to other faiths. One study estimates that 10.1% of people in the United States describe themselves as former Catholics in some sense. Although a small majority converted to another religion a substantial minority of them are counted as currently unaffiliated. [ [http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-chapter-2.pdf Changes in American religious affiliation - Pew] ] According to Catholic canon law, only a formal act of defection renders a person an "ex-Catholic". Many individuals on this list, and in that study, are therefore still Catholics in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

Note: The title is a shorthand, the list actually refers to those who leave the Roman Catholic Church or any Eastern rite church in communion with it. Individuals like Eddie Doherty who were allowed to transfer from Latin rite to Eastern rite are therefore not counted as "ex-Roman Catholics" for the purpose of this list, while Eastern Rite Catholics who convert to a religion not in communion with Rome do.

Individuals who converted to other denominations and faiths

Eastern Orthodoxy

* Rod Dreher, writer who converted to Catholicism then converted to Eastern Orthodoxy.
* H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., philosopher and bioethicist
* Karl Matzek, artist who joined the Eastern Orthodox Church.
* John Anthony McGuckin, scholar, poet, and priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
* Alexis Toth, Ruthenian Catholic Church priest who converted to Orthodoxy and became a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church.
* Tom Hanks, actor who converted to the Greek Orthodox Church after marrying his wife.

Anglicanism and churches in full communion

* Gregorio Aglipay, Filipino priest who joined the Philippine Independent Church
* Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State
* The Very Revd Miriam Byrne, Irish Catholic nun who became a cathedral provost in the Scottish Episcopal Church.
* Matthew Fox (priest), Catholic priest who became an Episcopalian
* The Most Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori, first woman primate in the Anglican Communion
*Autumn Phillips, received into the Church of England in order to marry Peter Phillips
* Jim McGreevey ("de facto"), former Governor of New Jersey [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/21/lkl.01.html]
* The Rt Revd Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, raised Muslim but baptised in the Roman Catholic at school and received into Anglicanism at age 20.
* Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia.
* Joris Vercammen, Archbishop of Utrecht, spiritual leader of the Utrecht Union of Old Catholic Churches

Independent Catholic Churches

* Eduardo Aguirre, Guatemalan Catholic priest joined Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
* Malcolm Broussard, Texas priest who joined Catholic sect led by William Kamm
* Ed Cachia, Canadian priest who started Christ the Servant Catholic Church
* Manuel Alonso Corral, Palmarian Catholic Church (anti)pope
* Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, Palmarian Catholic Church (anti)pope
* Sinéad O'Connor, joined Palmarian Catholic Church.
* Godfrey Silvester Shiundu, Kenyan priest who joined Reformed Catholic Church
* Ned Reidy, Californian priest who joined [http://www.ecumenical-catholic-communion.org/ Ecumenical Catholic Communion]
* Joseph Liu Xinhong, excommunicated for accepting ordination by the CPCA [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12627627/]
* Joseph Ma Yinglin, excommunicated for accepting ordination by the CPCA [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12627627/]

Protestantism

Calvinism

* John Calvin, French religious reformer
* Charles Chiniquy, American anti-Catholic writer
* Hugh Hewitt, law professor, author, radio talk show host, blogger; became a Presbyterian after growing up Catholic in Warren, Ohio
* Dorothy Lucey, news reporter on Good Day LA, converted to the Presbyterian Church (USA) [http://www.thegoodnewsfoundation.org/lucey.htm]
* Huub Oosterhuis, Jesuit who became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church
* Georges Sada - Raised in the Chaldean Catholic Church, which is in communion with Rome. He is the President of the National Presbyterian Church and chairs the Assembly of Iraqi Evangelical Presbyterian Churches. (Also a Senior Warden at an Anglican Church)
* Odile Stewart, younger sister of Phyllis Schlafly; became a Presbyterian
* Tom Tancredo, U.S. Representative (CO-6), potential candidate for U.S. President in 2008, now Evangelical Presbyterian

Lutheranism

* Friedrich Heiler, Religious scholar in High Church Lutheranism. (Dispute about whether he truly left Catholicism) [ [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:RLjneJ002nEJ:www.luthersem.edu/word%26world/Archives/9-3_Finality/9-3_Face_to_Face.pdf+%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1 403 Forbidden ] ]
* Martin Luther, excommunicated by papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem
* Tim Pawlenty, current Republican Governor of Minnesota [ [http://www.adherents.com/gov/adh_gov.html Adherents.com] ]

Pentecostalism

*Marcelo Crivella, senator in the federal government of Brazil
*Efraín Ríos Montt, a former "de facto" President of Guatemala
* Edir Macedo, founded the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
*J. Regina Hyland, a pioneer in the field of Animals & Religion

eventh-Day Adventism

* Mark Finley, pastor and speaker emeritus of It Is Written (Adventist TV program)
* Walter Veith, is a scientist, author and speaker known for his work in nutrition, creationism and other Christian topics
* Mary Walsh, Adventist Bible worker
* Roger Morneau, author of "A Trip Into The Supernatural" and the "Incredible Answers To Prayer" trilogy
* Marianne Thieme, Dutch politician

Other Protestant/Christian

* Stephen Baldwin, Actor converted to non denominational Christian
* Bob Enyart, Christian talk-show host, pastor of a nondenominational Christian church.
* Johannes Gossner, priest, became Protestant, probably Lutheran
* Bill McCartney, Colorado-based American evangelical/conservative activist
* Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, converted with family as a child to non-denominational Protestant.

Atheism, agnosticism, or non-religious

This section contains people who rejected Catholicism in favor of a non-religious philosophy. In accordance with canon law, the Roman Catholic Church considers them "lapsed Catholics" rather than "ex-Catholics."

* Steve Allen, actor, TV show host, writer, pundit (Humanism)
* George Carlin, American comedian (staunch Atheist)
* Jimmy Carr, British comedian
* Marie Curie, Nobel laureate in chemistry and physics. [Cite book
last = Reid
first = Robert William
title = Marie Curie
year = 1974
location = London
publisher = Collins
pages = page 19
isbn = 0-00-211539-5 "Unusually at such an early age, she became what T. H. Huxley had just invented a word for: agnostic."]
* Omar Sharif, actor and bridge player; an Egyptian Melkite Catholic who converted to Islam, but is now an atheist. [ [http://omarsharif.netfirms.com/articles.htm#El%20Mundo%20interview%20--%202002 Interview: Omar Sharif (English translation)] - El Mundo on 2002.]
* Theodore Dreiser, American writer (Socialism and possibly Christian Science)
* Janeane Garofalo, American comedienne, (Freethought advocate).
* Seth MacFarlane, Writer, creator, producer for Family Guy, American Dad, etc. [ [http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Seth_MacFarlane Seth MacFarlane - Celebrity Atheist List ] ]
* Jean-Paul Sartre, French Philosopher who abandoned the idea of God at an early age.
* Dan Savage (1964—): Author and sex advice columnist. ["If Osama bin Laden were in charge, he would slit my throat; my God, I'm an atheist, a hedonist, and a faggot." "Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America", Dan Savage, Plume, 2002, p. 258.] Despite his atheism, Savage considers himself Catholic "in a cultural sense." [Savage declared in his syndicated sex advice column: "I'm Catholic — in a cultural sense, not an eat-the-wafer, say-the-rosary, burn-down-the-women's-health-center sense. I attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary North, a Catholic high school in Chicago for boys thinking of becoming priests. I got to meet the Pope in 1979..." [http://villagevoice.com/people/0515,savage,62908,24.html Savage Love] (column), "The Village Voice", April 12, 2005.]
* Julia Sweeney, atheist comedian on the advisory board of the Secular Coalition for America
* Jerome Tuccille, Author of Heretic: Confessions of an Ex-Catholic Rebel [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0595384293/ Amazon.com] ]
* Zoran Milanović, Croatian politician and newly elected leader of Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP).
* Rita Milla, victim of a clergy sexual abuse, she once aimed to be a nun, but lost her faith in Catholic Church after being molested by 7 LA priests.
* Jordan Maxwell, raised as a Catholic until he moved to California. In his lectures, Maxwell seems to express deistic views. He also said he wasn't atheist nor a humanist, "though I respect both groups."

Buddhism

* Hwang Woo-Suk, South Korean scientist
* Alanis Morissette, singer-songwriter
* Patrick Duffy, actor

Christian Science

* Joan Crawford, American actress
* Doris Day, American actress
* Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, British Ambassador
* Terézia Fecková, mother of American actor Paul Newman

Kabbalism

* Madonna, American entertainer

Islam

* René Guénon, French philosopher.
* Murad Wilfred Hofmann, diplomat.
* Diana Haddad, Singer raised in the Maronite Church.
* Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America. (However, she abandoned Catholicism years before her conversion to Islam) [ [http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/nation/15392237.htm Belleville News] ]
* Matthew Saad Muhammad, boxer.
* Peter Murphy, lead singer of Bauhaus.
* Keith Ellison, First Muslim to serve in the United states congress
* Vinnie Paz Also known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram. American rapper for the underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks
* Anthony Green He was educated at a famous Roman Catholic Monastic School called Ampleforth College
* Everlast Irish-American rapper and guitar player

Judaism

* Abraham ben Abraham, Polish Talmudic scholar (conflicting stories though)
* Bishop Bodo, deacon
* Cameron Kerry, brother of U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry
*Anne Meara (1929 - ) American comedian and actress, partner and wife of Jerry Stillercite news | last =O'Toole| first =Lesley| coauthors=| title =Ben Stiller : 'Doing comedy is scary'| pages=| publisher =The Independent| date =2006-12-22 | url =http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article2092609.ece| accessdate =2006-12-22 ]
* Mare Winningham, American actress.
* Mary Doria Russell, American author. [ [http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1096 Interview] ] [ [http://literati.net/Russell/ Literati.net] ]

cientology

*Tom Cruise, American actor [ [http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=14938&pageIndex=1] "RD: You were Catholic originally. Cruise: Well, we went from Episcopalian, to atheist, to Catholic..."] [ [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/tomcruisebiogx21x05x02xpu] "In 1990 Cruise renounced his devout Catholic beliefs and embraced The Church Of Scientology claiming that Scientology teachings had cured him of the dyslexia that had plagued him all of his life."]
* Katie Holmes, American actress
* Jenna Elfman, American actress
* David Miscavige, [ [http://davidmiscavige.rtc.org/eng/bio/miscavige.htm David Miscavige: A Biography of, and resources on, David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center ] ] leading figure in Scientology [ [http://www.scientologyreligion.org Scientology Effective Solutions ] ]
* John Travolta, American actor, in 1975

Raëlism

*Brigitte Boisselier, mostly known for her association with Clonaid and the Raëlian Church, raised as a Catholic in Champagne, France, holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Dijon in France and another one in analytical chemistry from the University of Houston. [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/08/1041989999291.html Clonaid chief backpedals on baby proof] , "Associated Press". 9 January 2003. Retrieved 22 April 2007.]
*Charles-Yvan Giroux, Raëlian Guide of Quebec, Professor of Catechism, and ex-Roman Catholic Priest.Raël, [http://rael.org/download.php?view.1 "Intelligent Design] . Nova Distribution, 2006. ISBN 2940252203.] [http://groups.google.fr/group/alt.religion.scientology/msg/61a41db394e0f225 Groups hurl accusations at anti-cult organization] , "Montreal Gazette". 1 April 1993. Retrieved 19 April 2007.]
*Victor Legendre, Raëlian (Regional) Guide of Eastern Quebec and ex-Roman Catholic Priest. [http://www.info-sectes.org/sectesgd/rael.htm Raël et le mouvement raélien] , "SECTES ET MOUVEMENTS RELIGIEUX". Retrieved 19 April 2007.]

Mormonism

Claudio R. M. Costa

Other

This section lists ex-Catholics who do not fit any of the above categories. In accordance with canon law, the Roman Catholic Church considers certain of these people (those who have not converted to another religion) to be "lapsed Catholics" rather than "ex-Catholics."

* Ammon Hennacy, an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian and social activist
* Chester Brown, Canadian cartoonist
* Fidel Castro, excommunicated (Communism is essentially his system of belief)
* Jack Clayton, British director who identified himself as an "ex-Catholic"
* Robert Crumb, X-rated American cartoonist
* Irene Dailey, American actress who became a Unitarian
* Christopher Durang, American playwright
* Rosario Francesco Esposito, joined Freemasonry
* Heather Graham, American actress (Transcendental Meditation)
* Harry Hay, British-born American homosexual activist, founded the Radical Faeries
* Anne Jackson, American actress of Irish and Croatian extraction; married to Eli Wallach
* Bill Keller, New York Times editor who said he was a "collapsed Catholic"
* Richard Lugner, excommunicated, he is a successful Austrian entrepreneur in the construction industry, and a Viennese society figure
* Emmanuel Milingo, excommunicated, former Zambian Roman Catholic archbishop.
* Rosie O'Donnell, American comedian and actress
* Conor Oberst, singer-songwriter
* Paul Provenza, Italian-American comic [http://acca.asn.au/MESS011H/101P1004.html] .
* Martin Scorsese, Italian-American director

ee also

*List of people excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church
*List of people who converted to Catholicism
*List of former atheists
*List of former Protestants
*List of former Muslims
*Former Latter-day Saints
*List of former Christians

Footnotes