Matrimony converts

[amoiesu]

so if the non-catholic fiancee of a catholic wants to become a catholic, do he/she have to enroll in rcia like everyone else or is there a special shortcut class he/she can take to be catholic in time for the wedding? (for a story i’m writing)

 

[Lou2U]

No, they’d have to go through RCIA to become Catholic.

 

[1ke]

so if the non-catholic fiancee of a catholic wants to become a catholic, do he/she have to enroll in rcia like everyone else

In general, yes.

or is there a special shortcut class he/she can take to be catholic in time for the wedding?

In general, no.

However, the fiancee need not be Catholic at the time of the wedding. It’s not an impediment to getting married. The fiancee could complete their conversion process afterwards.

 

[mythbuster1]

Read up on Servant of God Takashi Nagai.

 

[TheLittleLady]

“RCIA” is the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults. It is the way the unbaptized are received into the Church.

People may be prepared for Baptism and the other Sacraments of Initiation through instruction with a priest, or, he may designate others to provide this instruction. Many times parishes set up a schedule of these sessions and for some reason this “Instruction in the Catholic Faith” has caught the name “RCIA”. This is sort of like sending your kids to their place of learning every day and saying “Get up, Johnny, it is time to go to Commencement!”

Anyway, those who are already validly baptized ought to meet with their Pastor and see how he wants them to be prepared for entering into full communion.

In some parishes this will mean they are shoehorned into the same sessions as the unbaptized. In other places they will have a different process.

Just talk to your Pastor.

As conversion is not required to be married, you won’t likely get a “fast pass” for that reason.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Both processes take time - entering the Church and preparing for marriage. They can be done simultaneously, there may be good reasons to do them in sequence instead.