[fwdude]

You may think you have "left," but the Catholic Church still considers you one of it's flock, although sadly separated.

You didn't have to get "re-baptized" when you return, did you?

[Barnacle]

In that sense, you are correct.

I might have misinterpreted your original post, "Isn’t the Roman Catholic Church the one you can never really leave, like the “family?”"

By "family", I thought you meant, like the Mafia. That can be a tough "family" to leave. My friend's grandfather managed to leave that family though. At least, that was the story his parents told him.