Adult Baptism - Only after RCIA?

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Madigan

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Hi, all.

I was raised in the Methodist Church and currently attend an Anglican parish, so my understanding of Catholic protocol, so to speak, is limited. My significant other was raised in the Catholic Church, but he was part of a military family, and it is my understanding that they were transferred shortly before he was to be baptized, and he never was. He still grew up attending mass, etc. He now desires to be baptized. Would he be required to complete the entire RCIA program before he would be able to be baptized?

Thank you for your advice!
 
RCIA is not a requirement. My wife converted from Protestantism and didn’t go through RCIA, we had to get permission from a Bishop to seek the Sacraments of Initiation outside the program but it is possible. It really depends on the Parish/Diocese.
 
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Ultimately that is going to be up to the pastor. However, it allot seems as if you ask the question as if RCIA was not a worth the time and effort. I cannot speak to other parishes as to how sound the program is, but certainly there are many parishes which do a great job of explaining both the Faith and the Church.
 
Madigan said:
Would he be required to complete the entire RCIA program before he would be able to be baptized?
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To be fair, one of the goals of sacramental preparation for the sacraments of initiation is to ensure that the person has a well-rounded rudimentary grasp of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Given that his experience (presumably) includes his presence at Mass but no catechesis, wouldn’t it be fair to think that such a program of preparation is necessary? After all, the Church doesn’t want him to commit to something that he’s unknowledgeable about or unaware of!
 
Not as crazy as you might think. I had a child in my parish who had completed most of a confirmation program (in a different diocese) before they realised she hadn’t even been baptised!
 
You may not realize this but RCIA instruction is very interesting. Even if you get baptized before RCIA, necessity. Spiritual learning is interesting. Gods time vs our time. Rama vs logos. Go out as a date night.
God guide your steps
In Christ’s Love
Tweedlealice
 
I am not sure that is fair to say. The OP was asking only about baptism. It is unfair to make assumptions about what they think about the time and effort involved.
 
I can confirm what @Weave and others have told you. It’s at the pastor’s discretion. He will judge whether or not the person needs to go through the full RCIA.
 
RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process by which an adult is Baptized, Confirmed and given the Eucharist.

The longest component of this is the catechesis, the classes, which is what you are referring to I think. These should be adapted to whatever level the individual is at. Someone like yourself probably needs very little to become a Catholic. Another person may have grown up in a secular family and need a lot of instruction before baptism. Your husband is somewhere inbetween. The pastor and rcia team make the decisions about what he will need.

Generally, Baptisms of adults take place at the Easter Vigil, so classes are structured around that. Some are strict about how much you attend, others less so. It should depend on the individual and their interest.
 
Yes, as @Irishmom2 said, I am asking only about baptism. I don’t doubt the benefit of completing RCIA. My question is simply if someone who already knows Christ, was raised with Catholic teachings, and desires baptism could be baptized before completing the full program. (And, no, he did not receive the other sacraments.) I myself am interested in coming into the Church, as well. We will be better able to speak to someone about it once public mass resumes here. Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
 
Dovekin said:
RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process by which an adult is Baptized, Confirmed and given the Eucharist.

The longest component of this is the catechesis, the classes, which is what you are referring to I think. These should be adapted to whatever level the individual is at. Someone like yourself probably needs very little to become a Catholic. Another person may have grown up in a secular family and need a lot of instruction before baptism. Your husband is somewhere inbetween. The pastor and rcia team make the decisions about what he will need.

Generally, Baptisms of adults take place at the Easter Vigil, so classes are structured around that. Some are strict about how much you attend, others less so. It should depend on the individual and their interest.
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This needs to be posted at the start of every “do we need to do RCIA” thread out there! It will be RCIA whether it takes 2 minutes or 2 years and regardless of the format.
 
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Ordinarily, an adult would only be baptized without RCIA if he or she was in danger of death.
 
RCIA takes adults through preparation for joining the Church; and that includes not only baptism but also confirmation.

I cannot speak to the issue specifically;; normally adults who have never been baptized go through RCIA and are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Communion on Holy Saturday Night.

The OP gives some information that her husband was “raised in a Catholic family” but due to transfers was not baptized. With no disrespect at all to the OP, there is a tremendous lack of information and that would be the first step to resolve (as in, is everyone sure he was not baptized at the next duty station or in a nearby parish).

And the next question, which again, if they wished to bypass RCIA, is how extensive is his knowledge of the Faith - again, an issue for the pastor.

Then, the third issue comes up - what about first Communion? That day? The next day/week?

And then the next question is what about Confirmation? Is that just floating off into never-never land, is there a date; is there a class (my experience with adult confirmations outside of RCIA is that there is a class of a few weeks).

So, no, it is not just a question about baptism.

And that will be up to the pastor.
 
I would suggest that your significant other make an appointment to speak to their parish priest.
 
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