RCIA & Baptism

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andrew2009
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Andrew2009

Guest
I’m doing RCIA at the moment, in fact this is my third attempt at it…

I haven’t ever been baptised. Both the RCIA co-ordinator and my parish Priest have told me that I will need to go to Confession before being baptised. I said (respectfully) that my understanding is that this is not correct - I have in mind the following advice from Fr Vincent Serpa:

If you have never been baptized, then you do not need to go to Confession. Your baptism will remove all past sins. This is standard Catholic procedure. I would think that your parish RCIA intructors would know this.

(see this thread: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=422020)

I tried to argue the point (again, respectfully) but the co-ordinator and Priest wouldn’t listen and kept insisting that I will have to go to confession before baptism. They didn’t really understand or want to hear what I was trying to say.

I have to admit, this bothers me for several reasons:
  • it seems they are both wrong, and they should know better;
  • they’re not prepared to even listen to what I’m trying to say;
  • if I go through the RCIA process and am baptised at this parish, I will be doing so in an incorrect way.
If I do decide to become a Catholic (I’m still not certain), I want to do things the right way.

So can anyone tell me - is this something I should be concerned about, or should I just “go with the flow” here?
 
Obviously something isn’t right here.

But both the priest and RCIA instructor are adement about you going, THAT raises a question in my mind with what exactly IS your situation?

Were you baptised before? When you say “they” won’t listen, what is their response? What is their reasoning on you going to confession?

This isn’t something you just go with the flow on, so this problem that needs to be sorted out.
 
What is it about confession that makes you not want to do it?
 
If you have never been baptized, you cannot go to confession. It is as simple as that.

It is very puzzling that a priest would be insisting that you need to go to confession before being baptized. Could it be that the priest thinks you might have been baptized and will be receiving conditional baptism? That is the only thing that could possibly fit, but I would have thought that it would be the other way around - first conditional baptism and then confession (in case you had truly been baptized previously, so the conditional baptism would have had no effect.

Try again to talk with the priest - not arguing with him, that will only anger him. Tell him that you are confused and would he please explain to him why you need to go to confession before being baptized.

If this does not clear things for you, call the diocesan office and ask for help.
 
Andrew2009 said:
I’m doing RCIA at the moment, in fact this is my third attempt at it…

I haven’t ever been baptised. Both the RCIA co-ordinator and my parish Priest have told me that I will need to go to Confession before being baptised. I said (respectfully) that my understanding is that this is not correct - I have in mind the following advice from Fr Vincent Serpa:

If you have never been baptized, then you do not need to go to Confession. Your baptism will remove all past sins. This is standard Catholic procedure. I would think that your parish RCIA intructors would know this.

(see this thread: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=422020)

I tried to argue the point (again, respectfully) but the co-ordinator and Priest wouldn’t listen and kept insisting that I will have to go to confession before baptism. They didn’t really understand or want to hear what I was trying to say.

I have to admit, this bothers me for several reasons:
  • it seems they are both wrong, and they should know better;
  • they’re not prepared to even listen to what I’m trying to say;
  • if I go through the RCIA process and am baptised at this parish, I will be doing so in an incorrect way.
If I do decide to become a Catholic (I’m still not certain), I want to do things the right way.

So can anyone tell me - is this something I should be concerned about, or should I just “go with the flow” here?
Click to expand...
Quite incredible. It seems impossible that a priest could get such a basic thing so absolutely wrong. If ever there was a case for appealing to the bishop then this is it.

There is no requirement for confession before baptism. If you were having a conditional baptism then there is a requirement for confession. But if you are having a full baptism which is normally the case these days as conditional baptisms are discouraged then you should certainly not be making any confessions.

Maybe the RCIA co-ordinator calls the shots in your parish and the priest is just going along with it to save face for the co-ordinator. Either way, the bishop should know about this.
 
petrel said:
Funny question for a protestant to ask.
Click to expand...
Why is it a funny question? I feel there is more to the picture than being presented so I am curious why he wouldn’t want to follow the guidance of the priest who is bringing him into the church.
 
bmullins said:
Why is it a funny question? I feel there is more to the picture than being presented so I am curious why he wouldn’t want to follow the guidance of the priest who is bringing him into the church.
Click to expand...
Probably a little tonue in cheeck remark, I think (well the way I took it anyway lol)
… the idea that a protestant would be pro confession, in most situations they don’t usually cotton to the idea of confessing to a priest.
 
figs said:
Probably a little tonue in cheeck remark, I think (well the way I took it anyway lol)
… the idea that a protestant would be pro confession, in most situations they don’t usually cotton to the idea of confessing to a priest.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I only have Protestant up there because I’m not fully in communion with the Church yet. After Easter I will change it. I don’t want to give a false impression that I am Catholic when I am not actually in the church yet.
 
bmullins said:
Ahh, I only have Protestant up there because I’m not fully in communion with the Church yet. After Easter I will change it. I don’t want to give a false impression that I am Catholic when I am not actually in the church yet.
Click to expand...
Understood 👍
You don’t have long to wait now! Welcome 🙂
 
Is it possible that you will receive a Conditional Baptism? If that is the case, then, you would go to Confession.
 
When I joined the Church, I had been baptized in the Methodist church. The details were cloudy. So, as a solution, my priest planned on a conditional Baptism. I went to confession prior to Easter, then I was given a conditional Baptism. He told me that if my original Baptism was valid, then my confession was necessary. If my original Baptism was invalid, then my conditional Baptism covered it. My priest referred to it as a “conditional Confession”, it makes sense to me. Hope this sheds a little light on the subject.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have definitely NOT been baptised before and there is no question of a conditional baptism, so I’m not sure why I’m being told I have to I have to say Confession first.

I will see if I can speak to the Priest again about this - perhaps there has been some kind of misunderstanding (but I can’t see how, really).

Does anyone know of any official Church document that may explain this, that I could show the Priest (if necessary)?
 
Andrew2009 said:
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have definitely NOT been baptised before and there is no question of a conditional baptism, so I’m not sure why I’m being told I have to I have to say Confession first.

I will see if I can speak to the Priest again about this - perhaps there has been some kind of misunderstanding (but I can’t see how, really).

Does anyone know of any official Church document that may explain this, that I could show the Priest (if necessary)?
Click to expand...
Canon Law (CIC)

Can. 864 Every unbaptised person, and only such a person, can be baptised.

Can. 865 §1 To be admitted to baptism, an adult must have manifested the intention to receive baptism, must be adequately instructed in the truths of the faith and in the duties of a christian, and tested in the christian life over the course of the catechumenate. The person must moreover be urged to have sorrow for personal sins.

§2 An adult in danger of death may be baptised if, with some knowledge of the principal truths of the faith, he or she has in some manner manifested the intention to receive baptism and promises to observe the requirements of the christian religion.

Can. 866 Unless there is a grave reason to the contrary, immediately after receiving baptism an adult is to be confirmed, to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and to receive holy communion.
 
Andrew2009 said:
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have definitely NOT been baptised before and there is no question of a conditional baptism, so I’m not sure why I’m being told I have to I have to say Confession first.

I will see if I can speak to the Priest again about this - perhaps there has been some kind of misunderstanding (but I can’t see how, really).

Does anyone know of any official Church document that may explain this, that I could show the Priest (if necessary)?
Click to expand...
Perhaps the priest and RCIA director are misunderstanding what you’ve said. Since you’ve never been baptized as a Christian anywhere, not even in Protestant churches, you don’t need to go to Confession. Maybe they are under the impression that you had been baptized in some Protestant church or something. Ask for clarification.
 
Vico - thankyou, that’s helpful…

JGMendes - yes I’m going to ask for clarification, just in case there has been a misunderstanding…

Isla - this is the third time I’ve started RCIA. Each time I’ve done so in a different parish. The first 2 times I bailed because the standard of instruction was incredibly low - in fact it was unbearable and I just could not continue with it. I’ve commented about this elsewhere on this forum.

This is the sorry situation a potential Catholic convert finds himself in modern-day Australia, it’s really very frustrating…
 
Andrew, I went through RCIA…the fact you’re going through it a third time says something is holding you back. Maybe another parish is for you? You are obviously being taught the wrong thing about baptism. If you have NEVER been baptized in the name of the trinity (I was Lutheran so didn’t need re-baptism. for the people who where say Baptists, and just baptized in the “Name of Jesus!”, had to be baptized. They were NOT sent to confession. what they were told to do is after they sinned again, as we ALL do, that they were to go to confession and say "Bless me Father for I have sinned, I am newly baptized into the Church and this is my first confession. that way the priest knows how to treat the situation…just like if you were to say it’s been 25 years since my last confession…they know you need a little extra time and counseling. I’m sorry you’re being told the wrong info, and you have been struggling for clearly a while. It may not be the best to “church shop” but in your truly formative year, you need a right fit, Converting to the Catholic faith can be extremely difficult…family and friends can be against you…If you were a protestant preacher, you just lost your career. Your spouse, if you have one, may not be at your level of growth. I went through a horrible time with rejection…“How could you do this to us?!” my family would say. this being said, I do think that this year of conversion should be a good fit, with priests who really KNOW their faith. Go to several daily masses a week if you can…see if you get that “welcome home” feel…Talk to the priests, make sure they know the truth…it’s what I did, and the good Lord lead me to the right Church. My sponsor 12 years later was my matron of honor. I tell my husband the most important day of my life was Easter Vigil 1998…He LOVES that! that night was a truly supernatural experience, and I want that for everyone who is Catholic, especially, a newbie who may have just sacrificed everything I mentioned. I’ll be praying for you!
 
Andrew, I see you must be going through it if this is your third attempt at RCIA. I personally went through RCIA, and it was a long road for me. I know it may not be popular but have you considered doing a little “church shopping”? I personally did that and the good Lord lead me to a wonderful church My sponsor actually ended up my matron of honor 11 years later!.If you have the chance at all, I would go to daily Mass at several churches. If one feels right, make an appointment with a priest to make sure they know what the truth is. You are literally in your formative year as a Catholic, and you should be getting the correct information. I was Lutheran and so was baptized in the name of the Trinity, therefore, I didn’t need to be baptized again. There was a man who came from some other denomination and was baptized in the “Name of Jesus” He was not sent to confession the day of Easter vigil. He was baptized and told that when he had sinned again…as we all do, that he should tell the priest “Bless me father for I have sinned, I am newly baptized in the Church and this is my first confession” He will walk you through it. I personally prefer a face to face with a trusted priest, but whatever you need spiritually. Becoming Catholic can be traumatic for many converts…if you’re a preacher, you just lost your job, and all of your friends, I was told " How could you do that to your father!?" (as he was a sex abuse victim as a youth) Many people have spouses who are not yet at the same space in their journey such as Scott Hahn in Rome Sweet Home. My point is the last thing you need to be worrying about is if the priest knows what he should. Easter Vigil 1998 was a supernatural experience, the BEST day of my life, which my husband is OK with:) I want this overwhelming experience for you. I will be praying for you…Be strong! I have never regretted a day of my decision to come to the true Church…in fact when someone tries to trample on my faith, I am stronger…you will be too!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top