Catholic at Heart

[lovingspirit2]

I have a question and hopefully, I’ll get it layed out right. Can someone call themselves a Catholic and be Catholic even if they have never joined the Catholic church? By this I mean, if they study the Catechism and about Catholicism a lot( and that’s an understatement), pray the rosary, etc. but for whatever reason cannot attend the RCIA classes to join the church. Can they be a Catholic at heart and be valid so to speak?

 

[Melchior_1]

I have a question and hopefully, I’ll get it layed out right. Can someone call themselves a Catholic and be Catholic even if they have never joined the Catholic church? By this I mean, if they study the Catechism and about Catholicism a lot( and that’s an understatement), pray the rosary, etc. but for whatever reason cannot attend the RCIA classes to join the church. Can they be a Catholic at heart and be valid so to speak?

You need to join the Catholic Church to participate fully within the Catholic Church. Example; you need to join the Catholic Church to receive the Eucharist.

If I may ask, why can’t you participate in RCIA?

 

[floresco]

I have a question and hopefully, I’ll get it layed out right. Can someone call themselves a Catholic and be Catholic even if they have never joined the Catholic church? By this I mean, if they study the Catechism and about Catholicism a lot( and that’s an understatement), pray the rosary, etc. but for whatever reason cannot attend the RCIA classes to join the church. Can they be a Catholic at heart and be valid so to speak?

I think it is unclear to call oneself Catholic if one has not formally joined the Church. The expression you have chosen, “Catholic at heart” seems better. Many pastors do not insist on people attending an RCIA program in order to join the Church. Perhaps you could find a pastor like this and explain your circumstances. A priest does have the authority to dispense with the RCIA classes if he deems it necessary and/or helpful.

Also, God does recognize what is in your heart. There is an ancient concept of “baptism of desire” which deals with this. If you are prevented from joining the Church by circumstances beyond your control, God will know that. But do try looking for a priest who will receive you without the classes, if that is the only obstacle.

 

[Myqyl]

I have a question and hopefully, I’ll get it layed out right. Can someone call themselves a Catholic and be Catholic even if they have never joined the Catholic church? By this I mean, if they study the Catechism and about Catholicism a lot( and that’s an understatement), pray the rosary, etc. but for whatever reason cannot attend the RCIA classes to join the church. Can they be a Catholic at heart and be valid so to speak?

If you (or whomever we’re talking about) can’t for whatever reason attend RCIA, talk to your local priest. They can best guide you (or whomever) to the next step needed to become a member of the Church.

I would guess that the independant study might (at the priest’s descretion) be accepted as “RCIA” and you could simply be permitted to recieve Baptism & Confirmation with those that could attend RCIA…

But that’s a guess… Talk to a priest…

God bless

 

[lovingspirit2]

Thank you for the repIies so far. I personally, plan on attending RCIA classes this fall, unless they get canceled again. I was asking because I had read somewhere about that type situation and was wondering if it could be “valid” within the Catholic church.

 

[floresco]

Thank you for the repIies so far. I personally, plan on attending RCIA classes this fall, unless they get canceled again. I was asking because I had read somewhere about that type situation and was wondering if it could be “valid” within the Catholic church.

There is a very old teaching that a person who intends to be baptized but dies before he has the opportunity to do so, will be saved as if he were baptized. This is the concept of “baptism of desire” that I mentioned before. It sounds like you might be thinking of this.

While I don’t think you should call yourself Catholic until you have joined, it would be appropriate to call yourself a Catholic catechumen. You have made the decision to join and are receiving instruction.

 

[corsair]

I am a convert but I never attended RCIA. The priest and I used to split a pizza and a six pack while he taught me about the Roman Catholic church. I was baptised in February of 1970 and confirmed in 1974.

Yes, you can be Catholic “at heart” but you cannot participate in the Sacraments until you are baptised. So in fact you are not Catholic until then.

 

[floresco]

I’ve remembered an analogy that helped me when I was in RCIA. Making the decision to become Catholic and going through the process of preparing for it is like becoming engaged to be married. When you are engaged, you are committed to this person In your heart, but you are not married yet and you don’t tell people that you are married. You also don’t have sex yet (if you are following Church teaching.) Similarly, until you actually join the Church, you wouldn’t tell people you were Catholic or receive the Eucharist.

 

[Myqyl]

I am a convert but I never attended RCIA. The priest and I used to split a pizza and a six pack while he taught me about the Roman Catholic church. I was baptised in February of 1970 and confirmed in 1974.

Yes, you can be Catholic “at heart” but you cannot participate in the Sacraments until you are baptised. So in fact you are not Catholic until then.

RCIA takes many forms You attended RCIA with anchovies

 

[giuseppeTO]

I have a question and hopefully, I’ll get it layed out right. Can someone call themselves a Catholic and be Catholic even if they have never joined the Catholic church? By this I mean, if they study the Catechism and about Catholicism a lot( and that’s an understatement), pray the rosary, etc. but for whatever reason cannot attend the RCIA classes to join the church. Can they be a Catholic at heart and be valid so to speak?

If you are martyred for the Catholic faith, which may not be that far fetched on the West Coast, you will undergo a Baptism of Blood and you’ll be in without RCIA.

 

[corsair]

Myqyl,

Actually it was pepperoni/saugage and Bud. But the priest was Fr. Salmon. (really)