Issues with confession and conditional baptism

[EnglishTeacher]

So I’m a candidate in RCIA, about to be confirmed and to receive first Holy Communion at Easter Vigil this Saturday. I was baptized years ago in an Evangelical church that didn’t keep any record of my baptism. I think it was done in the Trinitarian method, but I can’t remember for sure, and I can’t find anyone else who remembers, either. For this reason, the priest at my parish decided (a few weeks ago) that we should do a conditional baptism before Easter Vigil.

I haven’t been able to coordinate a time with my sponsor yet for the conditional baptism because she’s been out of town for almost a month due to a family emergency.

So this is my question: ** Do I need to wait for the conditional baptism to go to my first confession?** I’m really confused, and I don’t know when or if I will be able to get a hold of my priest, especially with Holy Week coming up–he’s busy, and doesn’t always return phone calls.

**Edit to add: As I was re-thinking the issue, it seems to me that even with my baptism in doubt, I could still go to confession tomorrow as I had originally planned. If my baptism years ago was valid, then my confession would be valid also. If, on the the other hand, my baptism was not valid, the conditional baptism will take care of all my sins. Therefore, I could still go to confession even before my conditional baptism takes place. Is this reasoning correct?

 

[corsair]

I don’t have the references at hand but I think that the answer is “no”. Too bad that puzzleanne hasn’t responded to this question as she is a whiz at finding the documentation.

However, if it were me, I’d wait until I was Baptised just to be sure.

 

[Sarahforgiven]

It sounds like your priest is on top of this situation, or he would not have taken the time to plan the conditional baptism. I would either work with the RCIA leader or call the church secretary, explain the situation & see if the baptism can be confirmed on his calendar & also schedule a first confession after. I bet it will all fall into place.
I haveI found our parish secretary to be most helpful.

 

[thequeen]

I had to be baptised conditionally too because the pentecostal church I was raised in even though it was a trinitarian baptism did not keep records like another post said get with the church secretary and and the priest and since he is on top of it as it sounds like he is he will probably make sure that it happens

 

[EnglishTeacher]

It sounds like your priest is on top of this situation, or he would not have taken the time to plan the conditional baptism. I would either work with the RCIA leader or call the church secretary, explain the situation & see if the baptism can be confirmed on his calendar & also schedule a first confession after. I bet it will all fall into place.
I haveI found our parish secretary to be most helpful.

Well, he actually has not planned it, per se; it’s all on me to arrange a time that works for me, my sponsor, and the priest. I was hoping to go to confession today after work, so if someone knows the answer to my question, I would be very grateful. I don’t think I will be able to get a hold of my priest before then; he is very busy today.

It seems to me (based on my reasoning in the original post) that I would be able to go to confession today, but I would like to know for sure.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

You know what, I think I found the answer to my question here in the “Ask an Apologist” section. Guess I should have looked there first. She says that yes, someone in my situation should go to confession first.

 

[Bookcat]

You know what, I think I found the answer to my question here in the “Ask an Apologist” section. Guess I should have looked there first. She says that yes, someone in my situation should go to confession first.

One would be going I assume to a Priest who knows your situation…for one would note such to the Priest in confession.