"This isn't the Catholic Church, it's a corporation". Caritas deputy chief files for apostasy

The deputy chief of the Caritas branch in Białystok has filed the documents in early September, but - he stressed - his decision came after long consideration.

"It wasn't some sort of a sulk fit, but a consequence of sixteen years of work in Caritas and observation. Apart from that I've been a Catholic for nearly 50 years and I have been watching it all. Particularly significant was the getting away with hideous crimes, namely pedophilia, the pretending it was not happening in the Church, and also various malpractices involving Mr Rydzyk (Father Tadeusz Rydzyk - edit.) playing the main role," Mr Wiśniewski said in an interview with TVN24.

"This isn't the Catholic Church, it's a corporation. All that, plus 16 years of work in Caritas, pushed the button."

Mr Wiśniewski explained, however, he still considered himself a person of faith. "I belong to the Third Congregation of Christian Baptist of Poland "Good Hope Community" in Białystok, my "practice" continues. But I cannot be a member of an organization which protects criminals to some extent," he added.

Asked if he had been experiencing a feeling of loss after filing for apostasy, he denied and argued that the case was still quite fresh.

"And I really don't understand how it works because I had left the Church before excommunication was imposed on me. You can't excommunicate someone who isn't there," Wiśniewski told TVN24.

According to Freedom from Religion Foundation (Fundacja Wolność od Religii), which protects the rights of the non-religious minority among other things, latae sententiae excommunication happens automatically once a person files a declaration of will to depart from the Church.

Latae sententiae and ferendae sententiae are ways sentences are imposed in the Catholic Church in its canon law. A latae sententiae penalty is a penalty that is inflicted ipso facto, automatically, by force of the law itself, at the very moment a law is contravened.