Former Catholics or ex-Catholics are people who used to be Catholic for some time, but no longer identify as such. This includes both individuals who were at least nominally raised in the Roman Catholic faith, and individuals who converted to it in later life, both of whom later rejected and left it, or converted to other faiths (including the related non-Roman Catholic faiths). This page lists well-known individuals in history who are former Catholics.
One 2008 Pew Research Center study estimates that 10.1% of people in the United States describe themselves as former Catholics in some sense. In total the study reports that 44% of Americans profess a different religious affiliation than the one they were raised in. A majority joined another Christian denomination while a substantial minority are counted as currently unaffiliated. A significant number of former Catholics join mainline Protestant denominations with a similar worship pattern, such as Lutheranism or Anglicanism, while others have become Evangelical Christians.
Note: The list includes those who leave the Catholic Church including any Eastern Catholic Church which is in communion with it. People such as Eddie Doherty, who were allowed to transfer from the Latin Catholic Church to an Eastern Catholic church, or vice versa are not considered as "former Roman Catholics", while Eastern Catholics who convert to a non-Catholic church or another religion are considered as such, even though Eastern Catholics do not typically refer to themselves as "Roman".
Individuals who converted to other Christian denominations Eastern Orthodoxy
Boris III of Bulgaria, Tsar of Bulgaria, he was converted during his childhood in 1896 to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Rod Dreher, writer who converted to Catholicism and then to Eastern Orthodoxy H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr., philosopher and bioethicist Princess Miriam Ghazi, Spanish gemologist and jewellery designer. She converted to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before marrying Kardam, Prince of Tarnovo. Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, member of the former Greek royal family and wife of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece. She converted to the Greek Orthodox Church before marrying him. Tom Hanks, actor, was involved with Catholicism, Mormonism and the Nazarens as a child, and was a "Bible-toting evangelical teenager", and converted to the Greek Orthodox Church after marrying his second wife. 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 Orthodox Church in America Rosario Nadal, Spanish consultant, art director, and former model. She converted to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before marrying Kyril, Prince of Preslav. Nathaniel (Popp), archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Romanian Episcopate and former interim Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America who converted from the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church on 15 February 1968 Helen of Anjou, queen consort of the Serbian Kingdom Ita Rina, Yugoslav film actress and beauty queen Margarita Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, wife of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria. She converted to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before marrying him.
Protestantism Lutheranism Marie Cavallier (now Princess Marie of Denmark), converted upon marriage to Prince Joachim of Denmark Charles XIV John, King of Sweden and Norway, he converted in 1810 when he became crown prince. Friedrich Heiler, religious scholar in High Church Lutheranism. (Dispute about whether he truly left Catholicism)403 Forbidden Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, converted upon marriage to Heiress Presumptive Margrethe (now Queen Margrethe II of Denmark) Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, German nobleman and a champion of the Protestant Reformation, notable for being one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany. Sophia Jagiellon, Polish princess and Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Karel Lavrič, Slovenian liberal nationalist politician and orator Katharina Luther, former nun who married Martin Luther Martin Luther, Protestant reformer and theologian, excommunicated by papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem Philip Melanchthon, Lutheran theologian and Protestant reformer Albert, Duke of Prussia, German prince, after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, German politician of the SPD Maurice, Elector of Saxony, German prince and Elector of Saxony. Oscar I of Sweden, King of Sweden and Norway. He converted in 1810 when his father became crown prince. Primož Trubar, Slovenian Protestant preacher and writer Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and former U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Gustav Vasa, King of Sweden. He initiated the Protestant Swedish reformation.
Anglicanism
King Henry VIII, king of England who separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. Anne Boleyn, queen consort of England and second wife of Henry VIII. Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a presidential candidate in the 2020 election, and former United States Secretary of Transportation.Fr. Edward Beck, CNN Opinion, US Edition, 2 April 2019. ref. The Very Revd Miriam Byrne, Irish Catholic nun who became a cathedral provost in the Scottish Episcopal Church. James Francis Byrnes, politician and statesman, United States Senator, US Secretary of State, and former Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, raised a Catholic in largely Protestant South Carolina, converted to Episcopalianism as an adult. Michael Coren, British-Canadian writer, clergyman, columnist, and host of The Michael Coren Show Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and Reformer who helped reform the Church of England during the English Reformation. Alberto Cutié, priest who was received in the Episcopal Church after a leave of absence granted by his former bishop and decided to continue priestly ministry as a married man. Matthew Fox, scholar and priest who became an Episcopalian after being silenced by the Vatican for heresy and expelled by the Dominicans for disobedience. Bernard Kenny, New Jersey politician, former majority leader of the New Jersey Senate raised Catholic, became an Episcopalian in protest over Catholic position on abortion. Jim McGreevey, former governor of New Jersey, who became an Episcopalian. Thomas Nast, political cartoonist, baptized a Catholic in Germany, emigrated to the United States and became an Episcopalian as an adult. Autumn Phillips, received into the Church of England before marrying Peter Phillips to retain his place in the line of succession Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia. The Most Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori, first woman primate in the Anglican Communion Josette Sheeran, director of the United Nations World Food Programme and former editor with the Washington Times, left the Catholic Church to join the Unification Church and later joined the Episcopal Church. John B. Switzer, theologian at Spring Hill College (the Jesuit College of the South); Switzer was a seminarian for the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and left seminary training six months before ordination to marry. He is now a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi and continues to teach at Spring Hill.
Reformed
John Calvin, French religious reformer Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre and mother of Henry VI, King of France. She converted in 1560 to Calvinism. John Barrasso, United States Senator from Wyoming, raised Catholic, converted to Presbyterianism Charlotte of Bourbon, Princess consort of Orange as the third wife of William the Silent, Prince of Orange. François Bruys, French historian and essayist Charles Chiniquy, American anti-Catholic writer Clive Derby-Lewis, South African Far-Right politician and convicted murderer Diana DeGette, U.S. Representative for Colorado's 1st congressional district, converted to Presbyterianism Mark Driscoll, founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle Renée of France, French princess and Duchess of Ferrara. She became an important supporter of the Protestant Reformation and ally of John Calvin. Melissa Joan Hart, actress, converted to Presbyterianism. Dorothy Lucey, news reporter on Good Day LA, converted to the Presbyterian Church (USA) Tom Tancredo, former U.S. Representative for Colorado's 6th congressional district, U.S. Presidential candidate in 2008, Constitution Party candidate for Governor of Colorado in 2010, now Evangelical Presbyterian
Pentecostalism Marcelo Crivella, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil J. Regina Hyland, pioneer in the field of animals and religion Edir Macedo, founded the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God Efraín Ríos Montt, former de facto President of Guatemala Mariano Rivera, Panamanian-American Hall of Fame baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees Marina Silva, Brazilian politician and environmentalist.
Seventh-day Adventism
Mark Finley, pastor and speaker emeritus of It Is Written (Adventist TV program) Marianne Thieme, Dutch politician, Party for the Animals co-founder, converted to Adventism in 2006 Walter Veith, scientist, author and speaker known for his work in nutrition, creationism and other Christian topics
Other Protestant Stephen Baldwin, actor converted to non-denominational Protestantism. James Comey, attorney and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, converted to the United Methodist Church Tirso Cruz III, Filipino singer and media personality, converted to non-denominational Protestantism in 2009 Lana Del Rey, singer, now attends a non-denominational Protestant church. Matthew Dowd, political consultant, chief strategist for the 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign, raised a Catholic, converted to non-denominational Protestantism. Bob Enyart, Christian talk-show host, pastor of a non-denominational Protestant church. Scott Greer, Daily Caller alumnus, podcaster and author, converted to Protestantism Johannes Gossner, priest, became Protestant, probably Lutheran Marjorie Taylor Greene, politician, converted to non-denominational evangelical Protestantism. Sean Hannity, Irish American radio host, political commentator and media personality, raised Catholic, left the Catholic Church in 2019 and became an evangelical Protestant. Vanessa Hudgens, actress and singer, converted to non-denominational Protestantism. Jan Hus, theologian who founded the Hussites, influenced the Protestant Reformation Jerome of Prague, friend of Jan Hus and Short-Lived leader of the Hussites John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, converted after parents' death to non-denominational Protestantism. Mathieu Kérékou, former president of Benin serving for 45 years from 1971 to 2006 Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician, Raised Catholic, converted to Evangelical Protestantism later in life. Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, converted with family as a child to non-denominational Protestantism. Domineco da Pascia and Silvestro Maruffi, former Italian monks and friends of Girolamo Savonarola Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota 2003–2011, converted and attending Protestant church with spouse Mary Pawlenty Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States, raised Catholic, converted to Evangelical Protestantism while in college. Gina Rodriguez, actress, now attends a non-denominational Protestant church. Maria Elvira Salazar, Cuban-American journalist and politician, raised Catholic, converted to Evangelical Protestantism as a young adult. Gary Valenciano, Filipino singer and media personality, converted to non-denominational Protestantism in November 1985
Old Catholic and Independent Catholic churches