The term "recovering Catholic" is used by some former practicing Catholics to describe their religious status. The use of the term implies that the person considers their former Catholicism to have been a negative influence on their life,[1] one to be "recovered" from.[2] The term first came into use in the 1980s.[3]
The term is sometimes used with humorous intent,[4] with a conscious parallel being drawn to the 12-step recovery programs often used by those recovering from addictions,[5] although practicing Catholics often find the term offensive.[6]
^O'Gorman, Bob; O'Gorman, Robert; Faulkner, Mary (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism. Alpha Books. p. 239. ISBN978-1-59257-085-0.
^Flynn, Eileen Patricia (1992). Catholicism: Agenda for Renewal. University Press of America. p. 120. ISBN978-0-8191-9722-1. Retrieved 2010-10-17. "These people call themselves Recovering Catholics and seek to put behind them the psychic scarring they endured as a result of their upbringing. They experienced the church as cult-like, programming them with rigid ways of thinking and robotlike ways of acting."