Confirmation Question

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I am a 44 year old practicing catholic that has not been confirmed. I am unable to attend the RCIA classes. The term RCIA is off putting to me anyway. Rite of Christian INITIATION of Adults… What, as a cradle Catholic, am I being initiated into? I already tithe, recite the Creed, fully accept the teachings of the church, raise my children Catholic, recieve the Eucharist, frequent Reconciliation, have had my marriages annulled per church requirements.
The thing I’m missing is the grace recieved from the sacrament of Confirmation to stay strong and share my faith. Is there not another way to be confirmed, other than to go to these classes?
 
It would be up to your priest. There is nothing requiring RCIA classes for confirmation. In fact, as you have stated, the RCIA program is ill-suited for preparing already-Catholics for the Sacrament. Actually, all that is officially required is that you can demonstrate a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the faith and have the desire to be confirmed. Have you spoken with your priest about this, or are you just assuming he would require RCIA?
 
According to canon 885 “S1 The diocesan bishop is obliged to see that the sacrament of confirmation is conferred on his subjects who properly and reasonably request it. S2 A presbyter who has this faculty must use it for those in whose favor the faculty was granted.” (Code of Canon Law, Latin-English Edition, Canon Law Society of America, 1995, ISBN: 0-943616-20-4, page 333.)

But according to the Introduction to the Rite of Confirmation:
“11. … adults who were baptized in infancy should, after suitable preparation, receive confirmation and the eucharist at a community celebration.”

And: "12. … In the case of adults, … Measures are to be taken especially for catechesis preceding confirmation and for the association of the candidates with the Christian community and with individual Christians. Such association is to be of a kind that is effective and sufficient as a practical help for the candidates to achieve formation toward both bearing witness by Christian living and carrying on the apostolate. It should also assist the candidates to have a genuine desire to share in the eucharist (see Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Introduction no. 19)
“Sometimes the preparation of baptized adults for confirmation coincides with preparation for marriage. In such cases, if it is foreseen that the conditions for a fruitful reception of confirmation cannot be satisfied, the local Ordinary will judge whether it is better to defer confirmation until after the marriage.”
(From The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN 0-8146-6015-0, pages 482-483).

According to canon 842 “… The sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Most Holy Eucharist are so interrelated that they are required for full Christian initiation.”

So I think some RCIA process is needed for confirmation.
 
Thank you Dr. Colossus for responding to my post. I have not spoken to my current priest about this but have had 2 other priest tell me to join RCIA. As a matter of fact, I have gotten a call from a member of my former parish staff, the past two Septembers, to join. I care full time for an invalid, have two children under the age of seven, and a car that begrudgingly takes me to mass and the grocery store (no further) and have made this clear…still they tell me to join RCIA. I need to speak to my new priest about this. He and the rest of the parish staff have been wonderful to me. I just wanted a little more info about my rights as a practicing catholic and RCIA. It just seems rediculous to me to require a tithing parishiner to attend the same course of study that someone “looking into” the faith recieves.
 
Sounds like you belong in Adult Confirmation class…not RCIA, however a lot of times, parishes intertwine the two due to convenience and lack of manpower. When the Priest are asking you to check out RCIA, they are most likely meaning Adult Confirmation Classes.
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jasm:
I am a 44 year old practicing catholic that has not been confirmed. I am unable to attend the RCIA classes. The term RCIA is off putting to me anyway. Rite of Christian INITIATION of Adults… What, as a cradle Catholic, am I being initiated into? I already tithe, recite the Creed, fully accept the teachings of the church, raise my children Catholic, recieve the Eucharist, frequent Reconciliation, have had my marriages annulled per church requirements.
The thing I’m missing is the grace recieved from the sacrament of Confirmation to stay strong and share my faith. Is there not another way to be confirmed, other than to go to these classes?
Click to expand...
 
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jasm:
I am a 44 year old practicing catholic that has not been confirmed. I am unable to attend the RCIA classes. The term RCIA is off putting to me anyway. Rite of Christian INITIATION of Adults… What, as a cradle Catholic, am I being initiated into? I already tithe, recite the Creed, fully accept the teachings of the church, raise my children Catholic, recieve the Eucharist, frequent Reconciliation, have had my marriages annulled per church requirements.
The thing I’m missing is the grace recieved from the sacrament of Confirmation to stay strong and share my faith. Is there not another way to be confirmed, other than to go to these classes?
Click to expand...
With Confirmation youare actually completing your initiation into the Catholic Faith. However you should be in an adult Sacramental preparation process. It could be that your parish simply does not have the resources to run an RCIA, Adult Education and Adult Sacramental preparation. So they choose to run the RCIA and use it for the others. I would speak with your pastor. However do be offended if he says that RCIA is the only path at that parish. You could offer to take an on-line preparation?
 
My suggestion to you is this, read the Baltimore catechism online. I realize it is old, but it is much more simple and to-the-point than the new catechism. It is also much shorter. It will be a good re-fresher and it also explains confirmation very well.

gutenberg.org/files/14553/14553.txt
 
if someone in the parish tries to deny you Confirmation unless you participate in RCIA talk to the pastor. If he gives you a hard time call the bishop’s office and find the name of the priest in charge of liturgy and sacraments. the pastor is required to attest to the bishop that candidates have been properly prepared, but there are a lot of ways to ensure that besides formal classes. It can be as long or as short as it has to be to prepare you.

You do NOT participate in RCIA, although in some parishes you will be in a class with those who do, just for convenience. Nonetheless, your preparation is different and your status should be acknowledged.
yes, you are being initiated because Confirmation completes your Baptism and is a sacrament of initiation, but you should NOT participate in the various rites with the catechumens (except for the actual sacrament itself).

If you called me and told me the story in your OP, I would invite you in for an interview, we would meet a few times mainly to assess your current state, make sure sacramental records esp. marriage are correct, invite you to a 6-hour session on Confirmation itself (held in anywhere from 1 to 4 sessions) and a directed retreat based on scripture about the Holy Spirit. These could be done either alone, with other adults, or with the youth, determine if you have unresolved issues you wish to discuss or study further, and we would meet with the pastor to make arrangements for Confirmation at the earliest opportunity. I would invite you to ask someone you know to be a sponsor, or provide you with a sponsor.

There is simply no justification for delaying the sacrament for an adult who is well disposed, in the state of grace, otherwise competent to receive it, and practicing the faith. Requiring him to go through a lengthy program intended for the unbaptized or the uncatechized is a scandal, and an abuse of the sacraments, and contrary to canon law.
 
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