If you've been baptized, must you still attend RCIA?

[curtishouse30]

Hello,

I’m Protestant but have been looking into the Catholic faith on and off for the past few years now. I was wondering if you already have been baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if you must attend RCIA? I work nights so my schedule could just never allow for 6-9 months of a class once a week for that duration. Any advice? Thanks in advance. God bless.

~Curtis

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Technically, RCIA is for the unbaptized. It includes not only classes but also certain rites (liturgical ceremonies) leading to the sacraments of initiation.

That said, most parishes do not have the resources (e.g., volunteer catechist time) to have separate programs for all the different groups of people (unbaptized, those baptized in a different Christian community, uncatechized Catholics) who are seeking full communion with the Church. So in many parishes everyone gets lumped into the same classes.

Our bishop has made it clear that baptized Christians do not necessarily need the entire RCIA process. In fact, recently I catechized a woman in about eight weekly sessions who had been active in her own Christian community. We concentrated on discovering the areas where Catholicism differs from her own faith background. She was confirmed in November (baptized Christians do not necessarily need to wait until the Easter Vigil).

Talk to the pastor of the local Catholic church and explain your situation. It is his responsibility to determine what you need in terms of preparation. He may be able to customize the preparation to your own needs (e.g., home study, meeting with himself or another catechist individually, etc.). If he cannot help you, try a different parish.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Hello,

I’m Protestant but have been looking into the Catholic faith on and off for the past few years now. I was wondering if you already have been baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if you must attend RCIA? I work nights so my schedule could just never allow for 6-9 months of a class once a week for that duration. Any advice? Thanks in advance. God bless.

~Curtis

No, but you still need to learn the Catholic faith and how to live it out. This can be accomplished by meeting with your Sponsor once a week on a day and time that works better, attending Sunday (Saturday evening) Mass, and studying on your own.

 

[AwGusTeen]

I would like to recommend a free Catholic home study course that, if followed diligently, will provide you with a good understanding of the faith.

amm.org/chss.htm

You’ll need to obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) as a companion. Be prepared to study and read a great deal, as just about every page in each text has required reading in the CCC.

Good Luck!

 

[PhilotheaZ]

No, but you still need to learn the Catholic faith and how to live it out. This can be accomplished by meeting with your Sponsor once a week on a day and time that works better, attending Sunday (Saturday evening) Mass, and studying on your own.

I would like to recommend a free Catholic home study course that, if followed diligently, will provide you with a good understanding of the faith.

amm.org/chss.htm

You’ll need to obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) as a companion. Be prepared to study and read a great deal, as just about every page in each text has required reading in the CCC.

Good Luck!

Home study, especially in the company of a sponsor who knows the faith well, is a viable option. But be sure you get the approval of the pastor before going this route. It is his responsibility to see that you are properly catechized, and the means you choose must meet with his approval before he can agree to complete your initiation into the Church.

 

[DEXTRA_DOMINI]

I am actually a Sponsor in RCIA and I was informed that if you are baptized and have not made your first communion then you will need to go through RCIA. During that process you learn many things about the Church and it’s teaching as well as consistantly review scripture and see its connection to tradition. This prepares you to live the fullest means of salvation and helps you understand everything you do so that you are not blindly following it. It is a great Experience and I think you would enjoy it thoroughly. After this process the Bishop himself will bring you in completing your first communion and confirmation all at once.

Those who are Baptized and have completed First Communion need only to go to a short course so that they can be confirmed.

Contact your Pastor at your nearest Catholic Church and he can give you a complete run down on how your Bishop has instructed this procedure take place.

Hope this helps…

 

[crazzeto]

Yep, you need RCIA! Fear not though, it’s a terrific experience! I’m enjoying it with my fiance who is in the process of conversion now. I’m sponcering, I’ve been to each and every class and I can tell you when you have a well run RCIA program it’s an awesome experience. You’ll truely appriciate it, since it should allow for oppertunities for you to face your reservations about converting whether or not you know you have them right now. We had several in class who had to face their reservations about the communion of saints, and praying to saints. They’re all in class still, so I can only assume it’s all working out well for them.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

No, but you still need to learn the Catholic faith and how to live it out. This can be accomplished by meeting with your Sponsor once a week on a day and time that works better, attending Sunday (Saturday evening) Mass, and studying on your own.

I should still add that it will require meeting with your pastor and participating in the liturgical Rites of RCIA proper to a Candidate.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The Catholic Church accepts some baptisms, but not (for example) Mormon baptisms, as it has at vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20010605_battesimo_mormoni_en.html .

The requirement, from the RCIA book, is:
“391 The baptised Christian is to receive both doctrinal and spiritual preparation, adapted to individual pastoral requirements, for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.The candidate should learn to deepen an inner adherence to the Church, where he or she will find the fulness of his or her baptism. During the period of preparation the candidate may share in worship in conformity witli the provisions of the Ecumenical Directory.
Anything that would equate candidates for reception with those who are catechumens is
to be absolutely avoided.”
(From The RCIA introductions for England and Wales, which are at catholic-ew.org.uk/liturgy/Resources/Rites/RiteRitual.html#RCIA . The USA edition has different paragraph numbers.)

Even if someone were not baptised, the RCIA process has considerable flexibility.

One section of the book has the heading “2 CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES”. It includes: “308. Extraordinary circumstances, for example, sickness, old age, change of residence, long absence for travel, may sometimes either prevent a candidate from celebrating the rite of acceptance that leads to the period of the catechumenate or, having begun the catechumenate, from completing it by participation in all the rites belonging to the period. …”.

 

[diggerdomer]

Hello,

I’m Protestant but have been looking into the Catholic faith on and off for the past few years now. I was wondering if you already have been baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if you must attend RCIA? I work nights so my schedule could just never allow for 6-9 months of a class once a week for that duration. Any advice? Thanks in advance. God bless.

~Curtis

Depends on what you (or, more likely, your parish) mean by “attend RCIA.” The RCIA is (as has been noted) primarily intended for the non-baptized, but also includes Rites and guidelines for receiving non-Catholic Christians into full communion of the Catholic Church. Each parish implements the RCIA differently (unfortunately, at times).

The “process” of a particular way of implementing the RCIA should take into account the individual’s situation, e.g. prior catechesis, practices, etc. Ideally it should be tailored as much as possible to best meet each individual’s circumstances and needs.

In the end, most likely, you will have to follow whatever the parish you are considering joining does.