RCIA: Do you address the issue of cohabitation before coming into the Church?

[EnglishTeacher]

Question for those who teach or help with RCIA: How do you address the issue of someone who is looking to come into the Church and is living with a boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you (kindly and sensitively) bring it up with them before Easter Vigil approaches? Or do you leave the matter alone? I know that the Church usually works with people in irregular marriage situations to help them remedy the situation before being baptized or received into the Church, so I wondered you similarly address the cohabitation issue.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I was just wondering how other RCIA leaders handle it. I am not looking to get involved in anyone else’s business. Our team is discussing ways to improve our process, and this is a side question that came up, because it is a regularly occurring issue every year (although so far we haven’t done anything about it); and since we help people resolve irregular marriage situations before entering the Church, it would only seem to make sense to help them resolve this situation, too, if possible.

Our pastor isn’t really involved; he is international and has our deacon handle RCIA, but we will try to discuss with him as well as the deacon.

 

[Hereiam]

Our incoming class fills out a survey or application of sorts addressing many potentially problematic issues. The pastor reviews then, then meets one on one, and any necessary follow up is a pastoral function, not an RCIA responsibilty.

 

[St.Martin_de_Porres]

I am a RCIA teacher at my parish.
Our RCIA Director deals with it head on within the first few weeks of class.
He broadly mentions various marital and living situations that should be addressed, then talks to the students individually to best help their particular situation.

 

[HeDa]

The deacon or priest meets with catechumens and candidates and cohabitation, marriage, divorces etc are asked as well as if the person has been baptised and in which church.

 

[TheLittleLady]

First meeting with the people, marital situation or cohabitation is discussed. The whats and whys and how to get things sorted out cannot wait.

 

[1ke]

How do you address the issue of someone who is looking to come into the Church and is living with a boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you (kindly and sensitively) bring it up with them before Easter Vigil approaches?

Each inquirer has a meeting with the RCIA Director before they move past the inquiry stage. Irregular marriages, annulments, and cohabitation situations are discussed, and referred to the pastor. It’s the pastor’s purview not the RCIA team.

 

[JohnR77]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...r-stable-marriages-families-16763?utm_source=

 

[Rayne2Step]

While it is important for people in this situation to understand this early, I would advise to first talk with your pastor and seek his guidance. He may address this himself or ask the RCIA director to do so. Either way, I would be certain to have spent some time in prayer in front the blessed sacrament to be certain I was in a state of grace and being charitable with my presentation. I wouldnt want to risk losing the persons from the process because I may have seemed judgemental and not offered the proper solution.