Am I Catholic yet? Does it matter?

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rturner76

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I just had a meeting with the RCIA teacher at my parish. I have already been allowed to join the parish and I go to Mass. I am getting assigned a sponsor in a couple weeks. The RCIA instructor said I should:
  1. Attend Mass Sundays and other daily Mass when possible
  2. Continue to have meetings with my brother who has a Masters in Theology from a Catholic College (St John’s Collegeville MN)
  3. Volunteer at the Parish when possible. There are many missions and ministries there.
I am all for RCIA. I love the idea of getting introduced to the church family and the have a big class with 50+ people every year. I love the idea of “my group” going through together and keeping a connection that lasts. I love this program I am set up for moving forward. I’m not complaining.

What I am wondering is, since I won’t take the vows and won’t fully be a Catholic until next year, what do I call myself? A Christian? In Discernment? Catholic in training? Is it just semantics? Does it even matter?

I thought it might make a good point of discussion to see what people think about this.

When did you first call yourself a Catholic? When you got baptized? When you got confirmed? When you joined a Parish? When you went to Mass?

I’m curious how people view this. Do people think it’s even worth talking about? Why? Why not?

Thanks,
RT
 
You are Catholic when you have received all of the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

If you are in RCIA and have not been baptised, you are a Catechumen. If you have, you are a Candidate.

Oh yes, and Welcome Home. :love:
 
Seachange said:
You are Catholic when you have received all of the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.
Click to expand...
Infants baptized into the Latin Church are Catholic.

(I use the Latin Church as an example because the eastern Catholic churches give infants all three Sacraments of Initiation together)
 
Cool, I have been baptized so I’m a Candidate! I’ll change my “religon” on my account here.
 
Excellent! Welcome Home! You are in for one AMAZING year, that will pass quickly. Don’t miss attending the Easter Vigil this year; it will be your turn next year.
 
you are a Catholic, you are not in full communion with the church yet, enjoy your time in RCIA
 
As Texas Roofer said, Yes, you are Catholic and can call yourself “Catholic” now because you are already joined to the Church by your desire to receive the sacraments. You just happen to be “imperfectly joined to the Church” at the moment, as the phrase goes. So when you receive the sacraments of initiation, you can consider yourself “more Catholic” if you like. 🙂

Think of it like a couple getting married. By the time you’re engaged, you’re already clearly part of a couple because of your mutual desire and intent to be joined in marriage. When you receive the sacrament of marriage, you bring that desire and intention to its perfection. You’re still the same couple you were before, just now with added blessings and graces from God to help you in new ways.
 
When you entered the catechumenate you “officially” became Catholic. In fact, if you were to die you would be entitled to a catholic funeral. Can. 1183 §1

Your sacramental initiation finishes at the the Easter Vigil but you are already catholic.

Welcome 😃
 
rturner76 said:
I just What I am wondering is, since I won’t take the vows and won’t fully be a Catholic until next year, what do I call myself? A Christian? In Discernment? Catholic in training? Is it just semantics? Does it even matter?

I thought it might make a good point of discussion to see what people think about this.

When did you first call yourself a Catholic? When you got baptized? When you got confirmed? When you joined a Parish? When you went to Mass?

I’m curious how people view this. Do people think it’s even worth talking about? Why? Why not?

Thanks,
RT
Click to expand...
there are no vows, relax,
if you are already validly baptized, you will make a profession of faith (that you assent to the principles in the Apostles Creed), be confirmed and receive first communion. During your preparation for these sacraments you are a “candidate for admission to full communion with the Catholic Church” (candidate for short). If you are already baptized you of course are a Christian.

If you are not baptized, that will happen first, all in the same celebration, usually at the Easter Vigil. In the first phase of your preparation you are an inquirere, once you celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of the Catechumenate (decide to go on in your preparation for baptism) you are a catechumen (person who is preparing for and being instructed in the faith for baptism is the definition). Once you sign the book of the Elect in the Rite of Election with the bishop, you are a member of the Elect (those who are called).
 
When I was a 9 year old, I converted to the Roman Catholic Church. Even though my mother (who had sole legal custody of me) gave her permission for me to be baptized, the church would not do it because i was so young, and there was a fear that being the only Catholic in the family, I might fall away from the Church.

I was terribly afraid that I might die without being baptized. The priest who was the Chaplain for our school reassured me that I need not worry. The church believes in, “Baptism by Desire”. That, if you truly desire baptism, but for some reason die before it can be administered, you will not be denied by God, but will go to heaven because of that strong desire.

I identified myself as a “Non-baptized Catholic” (which confused the heck out of a lot of people), until I WAS finally baptized at the age of 13.

Trust me, the modern way is so much better. When I was baptized, it was me, my 14 year old sponsor and the Priest in the Church (no family members, nada). The next day, at regular Sunday Mass, I just went up to communion with everyone else. I was confirmed two weeks later, along with the rest of the teens in our diocese (several hundred of us were at the cathedral).

Now, you are publicly welcomed into the church.
 
rturner76 said:
I just had a meeting with the RCIA teacher at my parish. I have already been allowed to join the parish and I go to Mass. I am getting assigned a sponsor in a couple weeks. The RCIA instructor said I should:
  1. Attend Mass Sundays and other daily Mass when possible
  2. Continue to have meetings with my brother who has a Masters in Theology from a Catholic College (St John’s Collegeville MN)
  3. Volunteer at the Parish when possible. There are many missions and ministries there.
I am all for RCIA. I love the idea of getting introduced to the church family and the have a big class with 50+ people every year. I love the idea of “my group” going through together and keeping a connection that lasts. I love this program I am set up for moving forward. I’m not complaining.

What I am wondering is, since I won’t take the vows and won’t fully be a Catholic until next year, what do I call myself? A Christian? In Discernment? Catholic in training? Is it just semantics? Does it even matter?

I thought it might make a good point of discussion to see what people think about this.

When did you first call yourself a Catholic? When you got baptized? When you got confirmed? When you joined a Parish? When you went to Mass?

I’m curious how people view this. Do people think it’s even worth talking about? Why? Why not?

Thanks,
RT
Click to expand...
“A person is initiated into God’s people not by physical birth, but by a spiritual birth through faith in Christ and Baptism.” U.S Catholic Catechism for Adults, page 116.
Catholic Baptiism=Catholic=temple of God=born again=saved.

I would suggest that you are a “Waiting Catholic”, waiting for your great day of baptism,
or the official acceptance into the Church.

For others it might be that they are “Thomas Catholics”, with some disbelief, until they touch the holes in His Hands thru study and are satisfied.

In the early church, those studying the faith were called the catechumen.

And may the gentle hand of Jesus touch you.
 
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