Dr Edward Peters: The Act of Formal Defection

1. It is possible (c. 124), but highly unusual, to impose, for validity, on “rank-and-file” members of the Church, the specific obligation of writing when they wish to achieve and effect in the Church. Indeed, outside of a few cases involving higher-level ecclesiastical administration, it appears that a writing requirement for the validity of an action is virtually unheard of.

2. Entry into the Church is not conditioned upon one writing (personally, or through another) anything. . .