RCIA Issues

[fmrbaptist]

Good evening. I am in the process of undergoing the RCIA process at our church. I have been in the program for about a month now. There does not seem to be a beginning middle or end to these classes. I feel as if I have come in in the middle of a movie. Lost. I have voiced my concerns to the Deacon that is teaching, and his response is"of course you feel lost".
My question is as a baptized former baptist, would it be considered out of bounds to approach my Father with my desire to forgo the remainder of RCIA and just joining the church? I don’t feel this process was meant to confuse. I think the original purpose was to inform and educate. It just seems like converts are made to jump through considerable hoops to be a member of the community.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[laszlo]

The RCIA usually starts in September and finishes of Holy Saturday, so you get in to the end of the process. If you start it next year, everything will be cleared up.

My wife a Lutheran was accepted as Catholic to go to confession and receive communion, but before that she (baptized as Lutheran when she was baby) attended Catholic Masses every weekend for 20 years with me, and still she will receive the confirmation only this Holy Saturday.

On the ancient times the preparation for baptism took 3-7 years. I am not sure, but some baptist churches too even now require years of preparation.

 

[JerryS]

When you’re confirmed, you will be asked to affirm before God that you accept all that the Catholic Church teaches. Whether you are ready to do that depends on your preparation. If you’ve done lots of study, reading, and prayer to prepare, then you may be able to make a case with the priest to let you be confirmed. He may also want you to delay a bit. It doesn’t have to be at the Easter vigil. Otherwise, you may be better off going through a complete RCIA cycle.

The fact that you experienced some confusion jumping into the middle of RCIA may indicate that you need more time. Sadly, it may also indicate that the RCIA class is not well presented. There are some great RCIA programs, but also some dreadful ones. Mine was dreadful, but it gave me time to study, read, and pray to be sure I was following God’s will and joining His church. You need to do the same. Even if the RCIA team or the priest gives you a bureaucratic OK to join, you still need to discern for yourself whether you are ready to embrace the Catholic faith.

I think it’s common for converts to feel like they’re jumping through hoops or working through checklists to get into the Church. Part of that comes from the size of the Church, which leads to more structure and organization than smaller congregational churches. Part comes from the age and mission of the Church. But it is the true Church of Jesus Christ, and we have to trust her guidance.

God be with you on your journey.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Good evening. I am in the process of undergoing the RCIA process at our church. I have been in the program for about a month now. There does not seem to be a beginning middle or end to these classes. I feel as if I have come in in the middle of a movie. Lost. I have voiced my concerns to the Deacon that is teaching, and his response is"of course you feel lost".
My question is as a baptized former baptist, would it be considered out of bounds to approach my Father with my desire to forgo the remainder of RCIA and just joining the church? I don’t feel this process was meant to confuse. I think the original purpose was to inform and educate. It just seems like converts are made to jump through considerable hoops to be a member of the community.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

My immediate thought is no…you shouldn’t be allowed to just “skip” RCIA. My husband was baptized Catholic…and he has to go through the entire process.

You need to have a good understand of the faith community you are joining…because no one is going to “dumb” down your faith for you when you get out of RCIA.

 

[5Loaves]

A validly baptized Christian may be received in to the Latin Catholic Church at any time, as soon as they are ready and without undo delay, but preferable not at the Easter Vigil which is intended for the unbaptized.

See the (U.S. Conference of Bishops, National Statues for the Catechumenate, Nov. 11, 1986):

“Those who have already been baptized in another Church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. Their doctrinal and spiritual preparation for reception into full Catholic communion should be** determined according to the individual case**, that is, it should depend on the extent to which the baptized person has led a Christian life within a community of faith and been appropriately catechized to deepen his or her inner adherence to the Church” (NSC 30)

The U.S. Conference of Bishops states: “Those baptized persons who have lived as Christians and need only instruction in the Catholic tradition and a degree of probation within the Catholic community should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate” (NSC 31)

"[t]he reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic Eucharistic community . . . " (NSC 32)

 

[5Loaves]

My husband was baptized Catholic…and he has to go through the entire process.

Those who were Baptized in the Catholic Church but never catechized may have longer formation, but their Confirmation at least in the US is reserved for the Bishop so that normally happens once. or perhaps in a very large Archdiocese more than once, per year with the Bishop and is separate from the reception into full communion that baptized Christians receive, ordinarily in a Sunday Mass. (I was received during a week day Mass decades ago, as was a couple received in a daily Mass in my parish in the past year. The parish priest has discretion about this for baptized Christians. Again, this is not baptized Catholics whom the bishop confirms.)

 

[fmrbaptist]

Thank you all for your responses. Please do not misunderstand my reasons for my desire to “skip” RCIA. It is not because of the time or effort involved. Far from it. I also understand the need to understand the rites and symbolism of the Catholic faith. However, as a Baptist I recognized the same God, the same Resurrection and most of the other aspects of the Catholic faith.I have yet to find any major differences in the faiths. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. I do not want to offend anyone, but the idea of classes before you can be welcomed fully into the Catholic community, strikes me as a bit much. If we share the belief in the same Christ then why does the community not welcome persons of other faiths with open arms and not require additional steps to be taken before fully recognizing that person as a Catholic?

Worship is worship, belief is belief, and faith is faith.

 

[KarenElissa]

If we share the belief in the same Christ then why does the community not welcome persons of other faiths with open arms and not require additional steps to be taken before fully recognizing that person as a Catholic?

Worship is worship, belief is belief, and faith is faith.

Baptists and Catholics may share many parts of the faith, but there are also LOTS of things that we do agree on. When you are received into the Church, you are asked if you “believe all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.” If you don’t know exactly what the Church teaches, then you will have a hard time honestly answering this question.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Those who were Baptized in the Catholic Church but never catechized may have longer formation, but their Confirmation at least in the US is reserved for the Bishop so that normally happens once. or perhaps in a very large Archdiocese more than once, per year with the Bishop and is separate from the reception into full communion that baptized Christians receive, ordinarily in a Sunday Mass. (I was received during a week day Mass decades ago, as was a couple received in a daily Mass in my parish in the past year. The parish priest has discretion about this for baptized Christians. Again, this is not baptized Catholics whom the bishop confirms.)

Many parishes do not have the resources (or room) to run seperate programs. In our parish…in fact our diocese…the baptized Catholic is a canidate…just as any baptized christian…and the program is the same. They are all confirmed at the Easter vigil. This is not true perhaps for those who have had some formation…and first Holy communion.

My husband has been in RCIA since September and will be confirmed and have first Holy Communion at the Easter vigil.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Thank you all for your responses. Please do not misunderstand my reasons for my desire to “skip” RCIA. It is not because of the time or effort involved. Far from it. I also understand the need to understand the rites and symbolism of the Catholic faith. However, as a Baptist I recognized the same God, the same Resurrection and most of the other aspects of the Catholic faith.I have yet to find any major differences in the faiths. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. I do not want to offend anyone, but the idea of classes before you can be welcomed fully into the Catholic community, strikes me as a bit much. If we share the belief in the same Christ then why does the community not welcome persons of other faiths with open arms and not require additional steps to be taken before fully recognizing that person as a Catholic?

Worship is worship, belief is belief, and faith is faith.

For the same reason we don’t allow just everyone to receive communion. You want a major difference in the faiths…look no further than the Eucharist…

 

[5Loaves]

I do not want to offend anyone, but the idea of classes before you can be welcomed fully into the Catholic community, strikes me as a bit much.

I think this has been answered. You are free to contact the priest and if he agrees that you adequately understand and “believe all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.” as you will be proclaiming, then you can be received into the Church at any Mass. If after talking with him he discerns that you need additional time living within the liturgical year of the Church, including assisting at least weekly at the Holy Mass, and need further catechesis about the faith and practice of the Church then he will ask you to have some more time in the process. Accepting the authority of the Church is part of what you accept when choosing to come into the Church. It doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions and expect them to be answered.

Also, you didn’t mention your sponsor. Your sponsor can be a significant help to you personally on this journey. He can be there for you in a way that the leadership normally cannot be because they are there for the entire group and do not have the intimate one-on-one relationship you have with your sponsor.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Thank you all for your responses. Please do not misunderstand my reasons for my desire to “skip” RCIA. It is not because of the time or effort involved. Far from it. I also understand the need to understand the rites and symbolism of the Catholic faith. However, as a Baptist I recognized the same God, the same Resurrection and most of the other aspects of the Catholic faith.I have yet to find any major differences in the faiths. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. I do not want to offend anyone, but the idea of classes before you can be welcomed fully into the Catholic community, strikes me as a bit much. If we share the belief in the same Christ then why does the community not welcome persons of other faiths with open arms and not require additional steps to be taken before fully recognizing that person as a Catholic?

Worship is worship, belief is belief, and faith is faith.

There is a huge difference in theology between the Protestant and Catholic Churches. The protestant states that Christ’s merits are imputed as a covering justifying the sinner and Catholics rightly understand justification as an ontological change resulting from cooperation with God’s Grace. This leaves the justified a new creation, an adopted son of God whereas the covering leaves the sinner still lost in their sins.

If 1 Corinthians 11:27 is to be believed as the Catholic Church states, the unworthy reception of communion brings down condemnation on the communicant. It is an act of charity that the Church makes catechumens understand the what and why of it’s beliefs and Magisterial teachings.

The Catholic Church makes one a well, filling up their being on living water, but the protestant is a canal in that a shallow stream flows into the person and out again. To fill up one’s “well” takes time, and to offer this to others, we must overflow with this water as we cannot give what we don’t have. RCIA and confirmation is only a beginning to a lifelong journey to union with God.

 

[dsmantz]

I was able to continue with RCIA and be confirmed this Easter after coming in just about a month or so ago. I had my concerns, since I certainly hadn’t been around since Sept.

But, after visiting with the parish Pastor, and my Protestant seminary training, he saw no problem in it. I suppose spending hours with Karl Keating books, being married to a Catholic, and this forum kinda helped me out a bit, though…

 

[William_Pitts]

Good evening. I am in the process of undergoing the RCIA process at our church. I have been in the program for about a month now. There does not seem to be a beginning middle or end to these classes. I feel as if I have come in in the middle of a movie. Lost. I have voiced my concerns to the Deacon that is teaching, and his response is"of course you feel lost".
My question is as a baptized former baptist, would it be considered out of bounds to approach my Father with my desire to forgo the remainder of RCIA and just joining the church? I don’t feel this process was meant to confuse. I think the original purpose was to inform and educate. It just seems like converts are made to jump through considerable hoops to be a member of the community.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

I have known people that have been through RCIA several times. Yes it does seem that converts have a difficult time entering the Church. It took me 5 years, but much of that time was spent in study and investigating of Catholic doctrine. When I finally got serious and enrolled in RCIA it only took a year. You want you mind and heart to settled when you finally do make take the final steps. There are some things that you can do to help your situation. From the Church’s point of view it is important for you to understand the basic doctrines of the Church. You must be able to “give back” or make your profession of faith before you are baptized. If you are deemed to have had a valid baptism then I believe you will make your profession of faith by reciting the Nicene creed. Converts in the early Church had to recite something like this at the time of their baptism.

There is a home study service operated by the Knights of Columbus. I took several courses to make sure I didn’t overlook anything important.

amm.org/chss/chss.asp?emlcode=

Do not become discouraged. If you have a sincere intention to be incorporated into the Body of Christ and you have been baptized correctly in Gods eyes you are already there. You must unlearn some of the Baptist beliefs you have been exposed to. You will need to develop Catholic eyes to read the scriptures correctly. If you don’t have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church get a copy and study it. Read the early Church fathers.
Learn the basic Church prayers. RCIA is designed to help you make sure that you really do want to do this. At this point you may not realize what you don’t know.

Is not like a protestant leaving one denomination and joining a different one. It is a much bigger deal than that. You are becoming a member of a family, and God expects certain things from you.

God bless you on your journey.

 

[markomalley]

Good evening. I am in the process of undergoing the RCIA process at our church. I have been in the program for about a month now. There does not seem to be a beginning middle or end to these classes. I feel as if I have come in in the middle of a movie. Lost. I have voiced my concerns to the Deacon that is teaching, and his response is"of course you feel lost".
My question is as a baptized former baptist, would it be considered out of bounds to approach my Father with my desire to forgo the remainder of RCIA and just joining the church? I don’t feel this process was meant to confuse. I think the original purpose was to inform and educate. It just seems like converts are made to jump through considerable hoops to be a member of the community.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

The only realistic alternative is for you to study the Faith on your own or under the direct supervision of somebody else (consider it homeschool versus institutional school). Depending upon how your RCIA program is run, frustration may be an absolutely legitimate issue, so I am not trying to discount what you’re saying.

There are a whole lot of hoops to jump through. You are right. But there is a very, very good reason for these hoops. If you take a look at the early history of the Church, in the immediate post-Apostolic time up through the fourth century, you can examine the amount of pressures that were placed on Catholics. Potentially, the only worse thing than dying as a pagan would be dying as an apostate.

There are a huge number of differences between what Baptists believe and what Catholics believe. I don’t know where you were as a Baptist, so I’m not saying that these were your beliefs, but those differences exist. Two examples:

• Ecclesiology: The way it’s been explained to me, a fundamental tenet of Baptist ecclesiology is that each individual assembly is to be totally self-governing, The pastor is hired by the assembly and can be fired by the assembly at any time. This has a huge impact not only with the organization, but with doctrine, as well. Catholics, on the other hand, have a top down structure. That is a profound difference…
• Sacraments: I have never in my life met a Baptist who believed that the sacraments actually did anything to impart grace. Including Baptism. (If I am not mistaken, in fact, Baptism and Communion are not even called “sacraments” by Baptists, they are called “Ordinances”). Catholics, on the other hand, believe that the ordinary way that the ordinary way that God imparts actual grace is through the sacraments. That is a big, huge, monstrous difference.

And, of course, there are other differences, as well, particularly when talking about the Communion of Saints.

Frankly, it would do you a major disservice to be received into the Church if you don’t understand and fully subscribe to the the teachings of the Church. I’m not saying whether you do or not…an Internet message board is not the place to do that either way. The point is that the program of instruction is there is a lot to wrap your arms around before you make, in public, the personal statement that you believe all of what the Church teaches.