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1. Do they ever bother to ask, why they're leaving?
   Maybe they couldn't find God in that Church.
   Sad isn't it.
   Still, that last patronising straw must be used - Guilt.
   
   Pathetic.

   Posted By: TJ Lawson

2. Here we go again..Christian Burial only by a Polish Catholic Priest...Are they saying other Christians do not have Christian burials,,????.

   Posted By: John M Costigan

3. Although Poland has a much higher rate of Catholicism than Australia, I'm still amused at the futility of saying to someone disillusioned enough to leave the Church, "You have to obey us and do it this way."

   Posted By: AJ

4. How ridiculous!!

   Posted By: Sandy Dunne

5. This whole thing here does not make much sense to me. When a Catholic loses faith in God and the Church don't they just walk away ? Why would he/she want to take part in some procedure or process of departure designed by the Church they have rejected ?
   
   Is this not a bit like when a priest totally loses his faith and decides to walk away ? The whole "rigmarole": voluntary suspension a sacris, application for a dispensation and so on does not apply in such a case......the rigmarole only works when one believes in it.

   Posted By: paul

6. Once again the image editor at CathNews has left me somewhat flummoxed. Who are the couple that accompany the full version of this news item?
   
   Are they a couple of the model witnesses the Polish Bishops require of intending departees in the Church? If so, must all witnesses be undressed for the event?
   
   Or perhaps this is the ideal Catholic couple in Poland attending one of Fr Ksawery Knotz's sessions on good sex (See Cath News June 18 2008) They don't seem too keen to leave in a hurry!!!
   
   And did the editor deliberately "leave out" the bottom half of the picture?

   Posted By: Tony Robertson

7. I think the previous commenters are missing the point. The Church is not encouraging people to leave, nor telling those leaving to "obey us". Some people, especially in overwhelmingly Catholic countries like Poland, who want to leave the Church, want some sort of formal recognition or proof of the fact. Very sad I know, but that's the way it is.
   
   And hopefully doing this may make some have second thoughts, or at least give others the opportunity to pray for them. And in fact, contrary to TJ's silly assertion, it will in many cases allow the opportunity to ask them why they are leaving. In my experience most who leave the Church do so because they seriously misunderstand or are ignorant of some or many Church doctrines, or are addicted to a certain sin and see no way out other than to put their head in the sand and try to ignore the fact that they're sinning, by avoiding any contact with the Church. And by the time anyone notices they haven't been to church for a long time, it's often too late to ask them why.
   
   And no John they are certainly not claiming that other Christian churches or organisations don't have Christian burials, or sacraments for that matter. Obviously in the context they are talking about Christian burials according to the rites of the Church.

   Posted By: Ronk

8. Yes, of course, people who want to walk away from the church can do so. What I see these points doing is giving a reality check to many on the borderline, who are not sure where they're going. Often the full consequences of their half-hearted desire are not clear to them.
   
   

   Posted By: Skye

9. Many European countries collect taxes on behalf of various Churches. Ie in Switzerland if you are a Catholic the State taxes you and the money is paid to the Catholic Church. The same is applicable to other Christian denominations and religions
   
   So you have to nominate your religion and taxes will be collected via your income tax.
   
   I suspect this is the issue here, "lapsed Catholics" don't want to pay the tax.

   Posted By: Chris

10. Okay, lets dog pile on the evil Catholic church, just like the bigots you are.
    
    If any of you actually had contact with what goes on in parishes, you would know that angry people, who haven't been to church since baptism show up all the time "demanding" that the clergy recognize that they are rejecting and leaving the Church.
    
    Since such people demand recognition that they are "leaving the Church," the Polish bishops have now provided it.
    
    Sheesh. That proves the bishops are bastards, right? I sense a lot of posters here need to examine their own attitudes.

    Posted By: Not a Polish Catholic

11. Paul said
    ""Is this not a bit like when a priest totally loses his faith and decides to walk away ?""
    
    Some priests don't seem to lose their faith, they just lose the morals they are supposed to have - eg. having relationships with women and getting them pregnant while they are PP. Others go about abusing children and still retain their positions in the church until it is discovered.
    
    I wonder what we call this when so many of us are just losing faith in the people who run our churches. The whole idea of going to Mass and being a part of the community is being able to trust completely those who are responsible for our guidance.
    
    When this trust has gone, where does that leave us that are often found wavering in our faith and church?
    
    

    Posted By: Noel

12. Apostasy is a mortal sin and leads to Hell.There is only one Church which Jesus founded, outside of which there is no salvation. Non Catholics can be saved in their religions, but this is the exceptional way. The norm is Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water(John 3:5).God is love and wants all people to be saved from Hell fires.However Satan and Hell exist and God leaves a person free to choose, Him or the Devil.The Polish Bishops are calling attention to the peril of being lost forever(Ad Gentes 7,Lumen Gentium 14,Vatican Council II).

    Posted By: Lionel Andrades

13. Noel "The whole idea of going to Mass and being a part of the community is being able to trust completely those who are responsible for our guidance."
    If "the community" was a man-made one that would be true. But the whole idea of being part of the Catholic community is being able to trust completely in Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church Who will never be unfaithful to her, despite all the sins of His popes, bishops and priests, all of whom are sinners. If you put your complete trust in a mere man you are certain to be disappointed.

    Posted By: Ronk

14. Tony, I really enjoy and get a good laugh from your comments. If you can, please comment more often.
    All the best !!

    Posted By: paul

15. Once again as one who has at times criticised CathNews for inappropriate illustrations (and headlines), I must defend this quite apt picture of Adam & Eve taking the forbidden fruit resulting in their exclusion from Paradise. The other picture of the warning sign "do a U-turn" is also very good.

    Posted By: Ronk

16. You people need to wake up. Most of you are talking through your hats because you lack even the most rudimentary knowledge of the Catholic faith! The Polish bishops are simply fulfilling their pastoral duty of advising those of the consequences of leaving the Church. Check out the following post:
    
    "Apostasy is a mortal sin and leads to Hell.There is only one Church which Jesus founded, outside of which there is no salvation. Non Catholics can be saved in their religions, but this is the exceptional way. The norm is Catholic Faith and the Baptism of water(John 3:5).God is love and wants all people to be saved from Hell fires.However Satan and Hell exist and God leaves a person free to choose, Him or the Devil.The Polish Bishops are calling attention to the peril of being lost forever(Ad Gentes 7,Lumen Gentium 14,Vatican Council II).
    
    Posted By: Lionel Andrades
    
    Learn it, live it, love it.
    
    
    
    
    Mike Malone
    
    

    Posted By: Mike Malone

17. Thanks Lionel Andrades for your quote of doctrine, the truth that you have quoted may not go over well with our non-Catholic friends, but never the less the truth is what is needed to be told here.

    Posted By: Walt

18. I think what is happening is that some people, when they leave the church, want to be sure that their Catholic families don't posthumously "recommunicate" them by having a Catholic funeral. This mechanism would preclude that by allowing them to formally depart.

    Posted By: Tom

19. Lionel Andrades: Catholics like yourself should start finding ways to make a time-machine and return to the days where Women were subjugated as inferior to men both at church and in society; where Jews are outwardly discriminated and where Asians and Black people (and their ancient language and culture) are treated as slaves and less-than human, because that is those horrible ages and the tyranny of prejudice you belong to.

    Posted By: TJ Lawson

20. Dear CathNews, is it really necessary to publish the irrelevant, nonsensical and abusive garbage which TJ Lawson constantly pumps out? His keyboard vomitus contributes nothing useful and serves only to hinder any attempt at intelligent discussion of the topics. I often disagree vehemently with several other regular contributors but will defend to the death their right to be published. But Lawson is simply a troll deliberately wasting everybody's time.

    Posted By: Ronk

21. T J LAWSON, The "tyranny of prejudice" strikes me as an apt description of your comments more than those you are referring to. Respect for the beliefs of others is a necessary quality of a functioning pluralistic society. Whether it is the beliefs of Buddhism that one must follow the Noble Eight-fold Path as laid out by the Buddha to escape perpetual transmigration; or the beliefs of Muslims that acceptance of Islam is necessary to reach Paradise; or the beliefs of Atheists that niether state exists; OR the belief of traditionalist Catholics that there is no salvation outside the Church. Acceptance is not necessary respect IS.

    Posted By: Tom B.

22. Well, other Christians do not have "christian" burials. They have, "denominational burials" according to what they think of christianity.
    
    If you want to look at it like another christian denomination, it really shouldn't matter, because your opinion changes whatever God teaches, right?
    
    No-one is using guilt. Leaving the one true church is a mortal sin. Good luck to them.
    
    If somone "can't find God" in the Catholic church, that is because there is something that needs to be changed about themselves, not the church- and people never like changing themselves, because they're already perfect don't ya know.

    Posted By: Peter

23. Yes, we all know leaving the Catholic Church is a mortal sin.
    
    Jesus is not enough for salvation, you must have the Pope too...if you stop listening to the Pope then you go to Hell.
    
    I wonder, is the Pope enough all on his own? Can one reject Jesus but still follow the Pope and make it to Heaven...according to Catholics?
    
    
    No, not serious with that last question. But serious in that Catholics think Jesus is not enough to make it to Heaven.

    Posted By: CybrSage

24. WHAT IF ONE IS TO LEAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND JOIN A GOOD BIBLE BASED PROTESTANT CHURCH, WHERE THEY ARE FED MORE ABOUT JESUS AND WILL PARTICIPATE IN THEIR NEW PROTESTANT CHURCH, ATTEND WEEKLY SUNDAY SERVICES AND FEEL MUCH HAPPIER THERE? DON T YOU THINK JESUS WOULD BE HAPPY WITH THE PERSON WHO IS NOW HAPPY AS A PROTESTANT AND WHO KEEPS THE 10 COMMANDMENTS AND SERVES AND HELPS NEEDY PEOPLE?

    Posted By: MRS. STRNGER

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