This is a list of notable former Catholic priests. Both religious and diocesan priests, and bishops, are included. Most persons on this list can fit into one of the following categories: Left the priesthood but remained Catholic (voluntary laicization) Left the priesthood and the Catholic Church altogether (voluntary laicization) Have been laicized involuntarily or excommunicated
A Ruard Acronius – Dutch Calvinist theologian and former priest; first mentioned in documents as a Protestant preacher in 1572 William Edward Addis – Scottish-born Australian clergyman of multiple denominations; first a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, and later a diocesan priest until his 1888 reconversion to Protestantism Gregorio Aglipay – Filipino former diocesan priest who left the Catholic Church to become the first bishop of the Philippine Independent Church; excommunicated in 1899 Jesús Aguirre – Spanish intellectual and aristocrat; Jesuit priest until he left in 1969 to become a literary editor José Inocencio Alas – Salvadorian-American former diocesan priest, friend of Archbishop Óscar Romero, and advocate of peasants' rights; left the priesthood in the 1980s while still continuing his advocacy Alexander Ales – Scottish theologian and former canon; converted to Protestantism sometime in the 1530s Menso Alting – Dutch Calvinist preacher and reformer; was a Catholic diocesan priest until joining the Protestant Reformation in 1565 Caspar Aquila – German theologian and reformer during the Protestant Reformation; diocesan priest since 1514 and imprisoned in either 1520 or 1522 for openly adopting Lutheran beliefs Jean-Bertrand Aristide – Haitian pro-democracy activist and Haiti's first democratically elected president; ordained a Salesian priest in 1982 and served as a vocal advocate of liberation theology before being expelled by the Salesians in 1988 and leaving the priesthood in 1994 as a result of tensions with church hierarchy Xabier Arzalluz – Spanish Basque nationalist politician; ordained a Jesuit in the 1960s before leaving and being laicized in the 1970s to marry Francisco J. Ayala – Spanish-American evolutionary biologist and philosopher; was ordained a Dominican priest in 1960 and left the same year
B Tissa Balasuriya – Sri Lankan former diocesan priest and theologian; excommunicated in 1997 over a theological dispute with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with the approval of Pope John Paul II; the excommunication was lifted a year later, but it is unclear if he resumed his priestly functions Jan de Bakker – Dutch former diocesan priest who adopted Protestant beliefs during the Protestant Reformation; laicized and burned at the stake by the Inquisition at The Hague in 1525 Dismas Becker – American civil rights activist and former Discalced Carmelite priest; left his order and the priesthood in 1972; served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1977–1989 Bartholomäus Bernhardi – rector and professor at the University of Wittenberg; later left the Catholic Church for Lutheranism and became the third Lutheran pastor to marry Philip Berrigan – American peace activist and former member of the Josephite Fathers; ordained in 1955 and secretly married a former nun in 1970 before going public in 1973 Phillip Berryman – American author of the topics of liberation theology and Christianity in Latin America; ordained a priest in 1963 and left 10 years later to marry Joseph Birmingham – American former diocesan priest from Massachusetts; laicized after being accused of sexually abusing as many as 40 underage boys over a 30-year period Ambrosius Blarer – Swiss reformer in the Protestant Reformation; former Benedictine monk who fled his monastery in 1522 after a conflict with his superiors concerning his adoption and propagation of heretical beliefs Leonardo Boff – Brazilian liberation theologian and writer; ordained a Franciscan priest in 1964 and left in 1992 due to clashes with church hierarchy Barthélemy Boganda – first Prime Minister of the Central African Republic autonomous territory and former diocesan priest; laicized in 1950 for marrying Paul Bongiorno – Australian political journalist and former priest Martin Adolf Bormann – German theologian and former priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart; ordained in 1958 before leaving in the 1970s to marry a former nun Joseph-Antoine Boullan – French former priest with an interest in the occult; often accused of being a Satanist following his laicization Roy Bourgeois – founder of the human rights group School of the Americas Watch; ordained a Maryknoll Missionary in 1972 and canonically dismissed in 2012 from both the Maryknolls and the priesthood because of his 2008 participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and "a simulated Mass" in Kentucky Denis Bradley – Northern Irish police officer and freelance journalist; former diocesan priest ordained in 1970 Peter of Bruys – 12th century French heresiarch, or leader of a heretical movement and former diocesan priest who left to preach uncommon Protestant beliefs
C David Cairns – Scottish politician and former diocesan priest; left the priesthood in 1994 to become a director of the Christian Socialist Movement Francesco Calcagno – Italian Franciscan friar laicized and executed by the Venetian Inquisition in 1550 for blasphemy and sodomy Wolfgang Capito – German Protestant reformer during the Protestant Reformation and former Benedictine priest until leaving the Catholic Church in 1524 James Carroll – American author, historian, journalist, and Roman Catholic reformer; left the priesthood in 1974 to pursue writing James Cavanaugh – American former diocesan priest best remembered for an iconoclastic call for reform published in 1967 Anthony Cekada – American sedevacantist Traditionalist Catholic priest and author; former priest of the Society of St. Pius X until he left in 1983 over a theological dispute; later joined the Society of St. Pius V Charles Chiniquy – Canadian-American diocesan priest who left in 1858 as a result of clashes with his bishop; later became a Presbyterian pastor and prolific anti-Catholic writer Frank Cordaro – American peace activist and Christian anarchist; diocesan priest from 1985–2003 and left partially because he wished not to be celibate John Dominic Crossan – Irish-American Christian New Testament scholar; Servite priest from 1950–1968 France Cukjati – Slovenian politician, physician, theologian, and former Jesuit priest until 1971 Alberto Cutié – American former diocesan priest and radio and television personality; converted to and became a priest of the Episcopal Church in 2009 after being photographed with his girlfriend at the beach
D Anthony D'Andrea – American mobster in Chicago and former diocesan priest who left after falling in love with a woman Daniel Dolan – American sedevacantist Traditionalist Catholic bishop and former priest of the Society of St. Pius X until he left in 1983 over a theological dispute; later joined the Society of St. Pius V Michael Dubruiel – American Roman Catholic author, speaker, blogger, and former priest Roger Duguay – Canadian politician and former diocesan priest; laicized by his own request in 1999 to pursue political office Dermot Dunne – Irish former diocesan priest, current Anglican priest, and 70th Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin John Duryea – American former priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco; excommunicated by Pope Paul VI in 1976 for marrying a woman
E Eadberht III Præn – King of Kent from 796 to 798 and former diocesan priest Johann Esch – Belgian former Augustinian friar who was martyred for adopting Lutheran beliefs Louis Évely – Belgian Christian spiritual writer; left the diocesan priesthood after conflicts with his superiors over his writings
F Carlo Falconi – Italian journalist and writer about Roman Catholicism; ordained in 1938 and left in 1949 to pursue journalism Miroslav Filipović – Croatian Nazi collaborator, Franciscan friar, military chaplain, and convicted war criminal Matthew Fox – American theologian and former Dominican priest who was expelled from his order largely to the unconventional programming at his Institute for Creation Spirituality, with a faculty that included a masseuse, a Zen Buddhist, a yoga teacher, and self-described witch Starhawk; he joined the priesthood of the Episcopal Church following his laicization Giovanni Franzoni – Christian communist, dissident Catholic theologian, and former diocesan priest; laicized by Pope Paul VI because of political and theological transgressions, including his support of communism Eligius Fromentin – American politician and former diocesan priest, left the Catholic Church in the 1800s or 1810s Dale Fushek – American former diocesan priest and Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix; excommunicated in 2008 by Bishop Thomas Olmsted for establishing the Praise and Worship Center, a congregation outside the Catholic Church
G Vernon F. Gallagher – American former Spiritan priest and President of Dusquene University; left the priesthood and the Spiritans in 1972 and worked as an academic administrator at Saint Michael's College Florentino García Martínez – Spanish professor and Dead Sea Scrolls expert; former diocesan priest Pierino Gelmini – Italian former diocesan priest who founded a famous drug abuse rehabilitation center; laicized by his own request following a 2010 indictment under charges of child sexual abuse of 12 boys John Geoghan – American former diocesan priest from Boston laicized by Pope John Paul II after being accused of sexually abusing more than 130 boys Michael Glennon – Australian former diocesan priest; laicized in 1984 after being convicted of raping two preadolescent boys Johannes Gossner – German philanthropist and charismatic diocesan priest from 1804–1826 before leaving the Catholic Church to become Protestant Thomas Groome – Irish-American theologian and professor at Boston College; diocesan priest from 1968–1986 before leaving to marry a woman Sally Gross – born Selwyn Gross, was a Dominican priest before leaving the order and exploring his intersex identity; laicized in 1987 Philip Guarino – American restaurateur, political activist, and former diocesan priest; left the priesthood in the 1960s
H Michael Harding – Irish writer and playwright; was a diocesan priest from 1980–1985 before leaving to marry a woman and practice Buddhism Peter Hebblethwaite – British journalist, editor, biographer, Vaticanologist, and former Jesuit priest until leaving in the early 1970s to marry Margaret Speaight John Hepworth – Australian bishop of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia (ACCA) and primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion; was a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide before joining the Anglican Church of Australia in 1976 and later joining the ACCA Daniel Herman – Czech politician and former diocesan priest who requested laicization in 2007 to serve in the Czech Ministry of Culture Franciszek Hodur – Polish-born American founder and first Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC); left the Catholic Church and founded the PNCC in 1898 amidst conflict between Polish American immigrants in the Diocese of Scranton and their Irish American bishop Neil Horan – Irish man best known for his interference with major sports events by running on the field to promote his belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ; was a diocesan priest until leaving in 1974, then rejoining in 1980 and leaving once again and being laicized Balthasar Hubmaier – German Anabaptist leader and theologian; former diocesan priest until he married a woman in 1524, effectively renouncing his Catholic priesthood, although his theological beliefs had already been irreconcilably different for more than a year at that time
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