Baptized Christian - Confirmation question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rae8
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rae8

Guest
Some ladies at the church yesterday told me I had to be confirmed on Easter. I believe they are wrong but did not correct them because I was not sure at that point. I have since done further research. (They don’t know my personal history so they may not have known that my situation is different.)

Regarding confirmation, I had read that confirmation for Baptized Christians (not catechumens) who have led a Christian life, it is different (or should be treated differently.
From: catholic.com/documents/how-to-become-a-catholic

Rather than being received on Easter Vigil, “[t]he reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic Eucharistic community . . .” (NSC 32).

Here is where I need more information:
It states:
For those who were baptized but who have never been instructed in the Christian faith or lived as Christians, it is appropriate for them to receive much of the same instruction in the faith as catechumens, but they are still not catechumens and are not to be referred to as such (NSC 3). As a result, they are not to participate in the rites intended for catechumens, such as the scrutinies. Even “[t]he rites of presentation of the creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the book of the Gospels are not proper except for those who have received no Christian instruction and formation” (NSC 31).

And then here it states:

For those who have been instructed in the Christian faith and have lived as Christians, the situation is different. The U.S. Conference of Bishops states, “Those baptized persons who have lived as Christians and need only instruction in the Catholic tradition and a degree of probation within the Catholic community should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate” (NSC 31). For this reason, they should not share in the same, full RCIA programs that catechumens do.

My question is this: I have been instructed in the Christian faith, attended Protestant church regularly in the past but when I re-located to the place I now live, never found a church and stopped attending church but never stopped praying or being a Christian. So I believe I have lived a “Christian life” and I was baptized years ago as an adult. So how does the Priest confirm all of this? Will he ask me questions about what I was taught or what I know of Christian teaching? And then will I be confirmed on any regular Sunday with my sponsor?

Thank you
Rae
 
Rae8 said:
My question is this: I have been instructed in the Christian faith, attended Protestant church regularly in the past but when I re-located to the place I now live, never found a church and stopped attending church but never stopped praying or being a Christian. So I believe I have lived a “Christian life” and I was baptized years ago as an adult. So how does the Priest confirm all of this? Will he ask me questions about what I was taught or what I know of Christian teaching? And then will I be confirmed on any regular Sunday with my sponsor?

Thank you
Rae
Click to expand...
The common way for non-Catholic Christians to prepare to become Catholic is to go through RCIA,the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. RCIA consists of instruction and formation in the Catholic faith.

As you go through RCIA your relationship with God and knowledge of the faith will become clear. It will also become clear when you are ready for the sacraments.

When exactly you will be received into the Church and complete your sacraments of initiation will be up to your parish. I believe the ideal is that baptized candidates spend as much time in RCIA as needed – which may be quite short – and receive their sacraments when they are ready. This is how we do things in my parish. Candidates may be received at any time of year. Unfortunately many parishes have adopted a school year model where everyone starts at the same time and receive their sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Ultimately the only people who can tell you what will happen in your parish are the people in your parish.
 
I think you should discuss all this with the pastor as it will depend on how he chooses to implement this in your parish.

At my parish, baptized converts attend the RCIA class and are normally brought into the church at the Easter Vigil along with those converts who have never been baptized and the adult baptized Catholics who were never confirmed. Those converts that were not previously baptized receive their baptism at the start of the ceremonies and then proceed through the rest with everyone else.

I was received into the church separately because I had impediments that prevented me from coming in along with everyone else. It was at a weekday mass in the morning with members of the staff, which was actually quite to my liking as I would not want to have all that attention on Sunday morning!:eek:
 
The timing of your entry into full communion and reception of Confirmation are between you and your pastor.

The norm for the unbaptized is to receive baptism at the Easter Vigil.

Reception into full communion and Confirmation of already baptized non-Catholcs can occur any time. Discuss it with your pastor.
 
At our parish, the baptized (candidates) go through RCIA with the unbaptized, even though it’s not strictly required. When RCIA started last September I would have preferred at the time to go ahead and be confirmed at the earliest opportunity. However, looking back now that we are days away from the Easter Vigil, I wouldn’t trade these past several months for anything. The fellowship we have enjoyed and the kindness of our catechists has been priceless. I say all of that to say this, if you truly want to learn about the Catholic faith, go through RCIA. I don’t think you will regret it. God bless you on your journey.
 
Rae8 said:
Some ladies at the church yesterday told me I had to be confirmed on Easter. I believe they are wrong but did not correct them because I was not sure at that point. I have since done further research. (They don’t know my personal history so they may not have known that my situation is different.)

Regarding confirmation, I had read that confirmation for Baptized Christians (not catechumens) who have led a Christian life, it is different (or should be treated differently.
From: catholic.com/documents/how-to-become-a-catholic

Rather than being received on Easter Vigil, “[t]he reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic Eucharistic community . . .” (NSC 32).

Here is where I need more information:
It states:
For those who were baptized but who have never been instructed in the Christian faith or lived as Christians, it is appropriate for them to receive much of the same instruction in the faith as catechumens, but they are still not catechumens and are not to be referred to as such (NSC 3). As a result, they are not to participate in the rites intended for catechumens, such as the scrutinies. Even “[t]he rites of presentation of the creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the book of the Gospels are not proper except for those who have received no Christian instruction and formation” (NSC 31).

And then here it states:

For those who have been instructed in the Christian faith and have lived as Christians, the situation is different. The U.S. Conference of Bishops states, “Those baptized persons who have lived as Christians and need only instruction in the Catholic tradition and a degree of probation within the Catholic community should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate” (NSC 31). For this reason, they should not share in the same, full RCIA programs that catechumens do.

My question is this: I have been instructed in the Christian faith, attended Protestant church regularly in the past but when I re-located to the place I now live, never found a church and stopped attending church but never stopped praying or being a Christian. So I believe I have lived a “Christian life” and I was baptized years ago as an adult. So how does the Priest confirm all of this? Will he ask me questions about what I was taught or what I know of Christian teaching? And then will I be confirmed on any regular Sunday with my sponsor?

Thank you
Rae
Click to expand...
They will need to see your Baptism Certificate…proof thereof. If you can’t obtain one, then you can receive Catholic Baptism along with other RCIA Candidates.
Regardless, you should wish to obtain full RCIA course. It will be good for ya !!
 
brb3 said:
They will need to see your Baptism Certificate…proof thereof. If you can’t obtain one, then you can receive Catholic Baptism along with other RCIA Candidates.
Regardless, you should wish to obtain full RCIA course. It will be good for ya !!
Click to expand...
In the absence of a baptismal certificate (very common because many non-Catholic ecclesial communions do not keep such records) one can provide an affidavit of baptism signed by a witness, or if the baptized was an adult they can sign the affidavit themselves.

Conditional baptism is only done if in doubt about whether baptism was conferred at all or in the Trinitarian formula, after all measures to determine this are exhausted, and then it is always done privately.

The OP was baptized as an adult, last year, and should have no problem providing an affidavit.
 
1ke said:
The OP was baptized as an adult, last year, and should have no problem providing an affidavit.
Click to expand...
I was baptized in 1993 in my swimming pool at home. I don’t have a certificate nor exact date and will have to dig into my old records to find the pastor’s name. Maybe I can contact him. I cannot tell you the exact words that were used either. I have explained this to my Pastor. I guess he will decide later whether or not I need a “conditional” Catholic baptism. But I experienced an infilling of the Holy Spirit each Sunday for about a year until I moved from that place. It was truly heavenly. That Pentecostal church was truly Blessed. I think I’m good on the Baptism. But I want to do it all correctly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top