Vatican Clarifies Irrevocability of Baptismal Records

Vatican City: Everyone is free to leave the Catholic Church, but it is not possible to cancel one’s baptism, the Vatican Dicastery for Legislative Texts announced Thursday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Vatican department emphasized that Canon Law prohibits altering or erasing entries in the Baptismal Register, except for correcting transcription errors. The department clarified that the entry in the register is not meant to reflect the personal religious beliefs of individuals.

The Vatican further explained that receiving sacraments and having them recorded does not restrict the free will of Christian faithful who choose to depart from the Church. The statement underlined that while individuals can decide to leave the Church, the record of their baptism remains unchanged as a matter of Canon Law.