Could I still attend RCIA even though

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Ex_Cathedra

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I was wondering if even though I’ve received Baptism, Communion and Confirmation if I can attend RCIA classes. I would love to attend the RCIA classes that start next week with my girlfriend and I have read on other sites that you can, but I don’t know how truthful those sites are.

I’m pretty much still a wet behind the ears Catholic and I am thinking these classes would help me learn the faith more.

I am sorry if this question is exhausted. I tried a search but didnt find anything close to answer my question.

I thank you in advance and may God bless you all.
 
I don’t know about your parish, but in ours, Catholics who want to know more about their Faith or need a refresher are welcome to attend. They would not be involved in the various rites that take place during the year with the Catachumens, but they can “sit in” or maybe even be a sponsor. You will need to check with the leaders in your parish as I don’t believe there is any set policy.
 
In our church RCIA is considered a great ‘refresher’ course for Catholics. If you are attending with someone for support, it’s even more encouraged. Half the people in my class or attending to support someone else, including my Grandma.
 
Absolutely! I missed it so much that I joined the hospitality team!
 
Should have been her sponser and then you would not have been asking this question.

sponsers are a big thing a lot of people overlook in this process…:o
 
Ex_Cathedra said:
I was wondering if even though I’ve received Baptism, Communion and Confirmation if I can attend RCIA classes. I would love to attend the RCIA classes that start next week with my girlfriend and I have read on other sites that you can, but I don’t know how truthful those sites are.

I’m pretty much still a wet behind the ears Catholic and I am thinking these classes would help me learn the faith more.

I am sorry if this question is exhausted. I tried a search but didnt find anything close to answer my question.

I thank you in advance and may God bless you all.
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RCIA is not an Adult Faith Formation class. You need to attend the Adult Catechesim Class at your parish for what you want. You could however Sponsor your girlfriend.
 
Ex Cathedra:

Do you get EWTN? The have some very good shows that teach sound docrine, and you’re bound to get a pretty good education from that.

Do you have a copy of the old Baltimore Catechism, The Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

They’re all available On-Line for Free, the last two from the Vatican:

Baltimore Catechism
truecatholic.org/baltcont.htm

Catechism of the Catholic Church
vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

I have to admit that I once heard someone tell me that she had been told in her RCIA (This is Archdiocese of LA, CA) that Pope John Paul II had said several things I knew he hadn’t said. When I suggested to her that he hadn’t and asked that she have them provide citations, they refused.

I was lucky that some 25 years go, a certain Fr. Joseph Fessio determined that he was going to convert this wayward Episcopalean to the Catholic Faith. I don’t think the founder of the St. Ignatius Institute was going to steer me wrong when it come to issues of the Catholic Faith.

Try reading the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and watching some of the teaching programs on EWTN.

If you parish is orthodox, and the people running the RCIA program aren’t trying to introduce things contrary to the faith, talk to them and see if they’ll let you help out so that you hear the sessions and get the notes.

Otherwise, try reading the list I gave you, try to connect with a knowledgeable faithful Catholic in your parish and ask questions in the Apologists Forum here.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
RCIA is not an Adult Faith Formation class. You need to attend the Adult Catechesim Class at your parish for what you want. You could however Sponsor your girlfriend.
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No it’s not an adult faith formation class. It’s better. I’m sure under most circumstances the leaders of the class would have no problem with you attending-especially being new yourself. As was said, you could be a sponsor or help with the class in general. The interaction with those new to the faith as yourself can be of great help. I would point out that in my class it was requested that boyfriend/girlfriends and husbands/wifes not sponsor each other.
 
Ex_Cathedra said:
I was wondering if even though I’ve received Baptism, Communion and Confirmation if I can attend RCIA classes. I would love to attend the RCIA classes that start next week with my girlfriend and I have read on other sites that you can, but I don’t know how truthful those sites are.

I’m pretty much still a wet behind the ears Catholic and I am thinking these classes would help me learn the faith more. .
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by all means please attend, especially if the class is taught by a different teacher or in a different parish than where you learned, because you will get a new slant on things. Please offer to attend as a sponsor for any one of the candidates or catechumens. It is always hard to find sponsors, and it really is essential. You will be learning right along with them. Even and especially if you think you already know the material you will find there is always more to learn.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
RCIA is not an Adult Faith Formation class. You need to attend the Adult Catechesim Class at your parish for what you want. You could however Sponsor your girlfriend.
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Br. Rich,

With all due respect, I have two comments on your assessment.

First, many parishes lack the resources to run multiple programs, and hence put Catechumens, Candidates, Catholics seeking Confirmation as adults, and also those who are looking for “adult catechism” into RCIA. Many parishes, mine included, do not have any adult education type of class.

Second, the RCIA programs I have been a part of as a core team member actually do not allow fiances and spouses to sponsor their significant other. They can attend with the spouse and are assigned someone else to sponsor so the catechumen/candidate is in no way coerced, and also so that they establish other relationships with Catholics and feel more free to ask questions and share concerns about conversion.
 
You should first ask your priest, but in the Parishes that I have attended, parishioners are welcome. You can learn a lot and also offer insights of your own faith life to the catechumenates.And sometimes it can work out that you will become a Sponsor for someone in the group needing one.
 
1ke said:
Br. Rich,

With all due respect, I have two comments on your assessment.

First, many parishes lack the resources to run multiple programs, and hence put Catechumens, Candidates, Catholics seeking Confirmation as adults, and also those who are looking for “adult catechism” into RCIA. Many parishes, mine included, do not have any adult education type of class.

Second, the RCIA programs I have been a part of as a core team member actually do not allow fiances and spouses to sponsor their significant other. They can attend with the spouse and are assigned someone else to sponsor so the catechumen/candidate is in no way coerced, and also so that they establish other relationships with Catholics and feel more free to ask questions and share concerns about conversion.
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Those parishes that are not meeting the Bishops mandate for Adult Catechesis established in 1999 by the USCCB need to put their full attention into getting there ASAP. ( they have had 7 years) Nothing in either Canon Law or the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults prohibits a spouse or other related person from being a Sponsor, nor does it give anyone the authority to prohibit them from doing so. The Catechumen or Candidate alone has the right to chose their Sponsor, as long as the Sponsor is qualified according to Canon Law.
 
Yes but in practice it’s done to allow the candidate to meet someone else in the parish who might have a different perspective and may be more patient with questions. I agree, though, that every parish needs a good adult faith formation class. But no one’s ever been discouraged from attending RCIA, either. It is helpful for the candidates to meet the parishioners in a stress-free atmosphere. As long as the parishoners don’t interfere, why not?
 
Here’s a Catholic Update on the topic:

Godparents and Sponsors
What Is Expected of Them Today?
by William F. Wegher
There is one other thing to consider here. Often a person in RCIA will want a spouse or a sibling to be godparent and/or sponsor. While there is nothing wrong with this, and no one would deny you the right to choose them, you might want to consider a few things. First, since you are entering a new faith community, having a new person serve in this role—or at least as a second godparent or cosponsor—might help you adjust more easily. You would now have a different contact to introduce you to the family of the Church.
Second, spouses and siblings, for one reason or another, may sometimes be hesitant to talk about sensitive spiritual questions. Many people find having a new spiritual friend or fellow “walker on the journey” to be truly helpful as they make their way to the Easter sacraments. Sometimes it’s just nice to have someone else to talk to. The bonds of friendship and trust in such a relationship can be rewarding for you, your spouse and your family!
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the link is: americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0497.asp
 
Traditional_Ang said:
Ex Cathedra:

Do you have a copy of the old Baltimore Catechism, The Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

They’re all available On-Line for Free, the last two from the Vatican:

Baltimore Catechism
truecatholic.org/baltcont.htm

Catechism of the Catholic Church
vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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I checked out the Baltimore Catechism from the link you gave, and it is the proper version. However, the rest of the website is definitely not something that anybody with questions about the Catholic Church should read!:eek: Their homepage was the worst schismatic thing I have ever seen (with their false teachings about every Pope after Pius XII). I’ll see if I can find another link that has the Baltimore Catechism but is not a schismatic group that has really broken off from the Catholic Church.
 
The new USCCB Adult Catechism is supposed to be pretty good and easy to read.
 
Brian_C said:
Yes but in practice it’s done to allow the candidate to meet someone else in the parish who might have a different perspective and may be more patient with questions. I agree, though, that every parish needs a good adult faith formation class. But no one’s ever been discouraged from attending RCIA, either. It is helpful for the candidates to meet the parishioners in a stress-free atmosphere. As long as the parishoners don’t interfere, why not?
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The biggest problem I have seen is those Catholics who want to be “updated” usually have a different need. They always say Well before Vatican II…! Why don’t we do it like we used too! I don’t understand why the Church changed that or this. The Catechumens have no idea what they are talking about and really don’t need to know. They need to focus on their Spiritual formation, their Prayer life and the belief of the Church and it’s practice today. There is no need to explain the difference between the NO and the High and Low Mass of the TLM.

What many pastors do not realize is that the RCIA is an official Liturgical Rite of the Catholic Church and therfore CANNOT be modified to personal or parish taste. It must be followed to the letter for the purpose it was intended, the wording, the actions and form CANNOT be changed even by the pastor from what is published in the official liturgical books.
 
I understand what you are saying completely but I’d point out in my experience it’s usually not pre-conciliar Catholics seeking updating, it’s people imbued with the “Spirit of Vatican II” who either think that the Church is NOW teaching something competely different than they learned OR they realize they didn’t learn anything. I mean, they know customs… but not theology.
 
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