How is nine months of RCIA not waiting for Confirmation? I waited nine months for my First Reconciliation which took place before Confirmation which took place before my First Holy Communion. That is the order of Sacraments for someone of my age and accountability, and I waited for all three of them.
Right; I understood what you meant – all at once (usually at the Easter Vigil), those who are about to come into full communion with the Church receive Confirmation & First Holy Communion at the same Mass. Some time prior to that, they go to Confession for the first time.
And, the nine months prior to that, when you were part of classes, you weren’t “waiting”, but rather, were learning and receiving formation. Would you say, “I had to wait until I graduated high school before I could go to college!”…? No – it’s more to the point to say that you were able to go to college only upon completion of high school. I’m not disputing the length of time, but just the characterization of ‘waiting’…
I am well aware what RCIA does. I obviously discerned the Body and Blood, or I would have had no qualms consuming it before I was in communion. The point is my discernment could have been better than the Pope’s, and I still wouldn’t have partaken because I wasn’t in communion.
Perhaps. Yet, you seem to be suggesting that candidates, catechumens, and those coming into full communion with the Church be allowed to receive the sacraments the moment they feel they understand the faith and the Church well enough – each individually, and without the other members of the group. That’s not feasible, for a number of reasons (not the least of which is that a pastor only receives permission to confirm (which is typically reserved to a bishop) on Easter Vigil). So, in that period between the start of the program (typically in September or October) and Easter Vigil, participants aren’t ‘waiting’, per se, but learning.
I’m not concerning myself with why somebody cannot partake. I’m concerning my comparison with somebody simply being unable to partake for whatever reason.
I understand that. The ‘why’ is critical, though, I would assert.
I didn’t “feel” judged. I understood the proper order of the sacraments of initiation for a candidate because I was going through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. “Judgemental”, “cruel”, “burdensome” etc. are the sentiments of the remarried divorced Catholics without annulments and those who take their part who want to relax reverence for the Eucharist.
OK.
You were making a comparison between your experience and the experience of a Catholic who is remarried without a nullity decree, and in that context, you wrote, “The reasons seem irrelevant to the concern of whether denying communion is compassionate or just burdensome and judgmental.” It seemed that, since you were asserting that “being denied communion” was something the two examples had in common, you were asserting similarities between both.
Apparently my previous three posts were unclear. I am a convert. I am in full communion with the Catholic Church.
No, I get it.
Every time before my Confirmation and after it that I didn’t partake of communion I thought it nothing but the height of compassion. Whether I “felt” the compassion or not. I am ascribing the feelings or even thoughts of being judged, burdened, or otherwise unjustly impeded to the Catholics who wish to take communion without regularizing their marriage situation.
Right: and my response was simply that, for neither of your situations, the ‘wait’ for entry into or return to full communion with the Church is neither ‘compassionate’ nor ‘judgmental’, but rather, simply ‘charitable’.
