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pro_multis
Guest
At novus ordo churches, if a person decides during the summer that he wants to become catholic, is he generally required to go through RCIA and receive the sacraments at the next easter vigil?
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baltobetsy
Guest
Yes, that’s the normal course of events. RCIA generally begins early in the fall and culminates with the reception of catechumens and candidates at the Easter Vigil.
Just so you know, the term “novus ordo parishes” is generally regarded as offensive here. It is a distinction you might need to use over on the Traditional Catholicism board, but Liturgy and Sacraments applies generally to parishes using the Ordinary Form.
Betsy
Just so you know, the term “novus ordo parishes” is generally regarded as offensive here. It is a distinction you might need to use over on the Traditional Catholicism board, but Liturgy and Sacraments applies generally to parishes using the Ordinary Form.
Betsy
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mary_bobo
Guest
That is the usual course of events, but as a RCIA sponsor, I will add that not everyone who goes thru is ready for the final committment. We have had some go thru all of RCIA and feel themselves not ready to take that step. No one pushes. It is up to the individual RCIA participant, the priest and the RCIA team with counsel from the sponsor as to whether a candidate is ready.
It is possible that a baptized Christian who wishes to join the Catholic Church might not follow the standard RCIA track., This would probably have to be a person who is already very knowledgeable about Catholicism.
But such a person is going to be an exception. And not all parishes are prepared to deal with exceptional people.
But such a person is going to be an exception. And not all parishes are prepared to deal with exceptional people.
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
In Catholic parishes RCIA is the normal way someone pursues baptism. According to the rite, the catechumenate should last at least a year. Thus if someone starts during the summer, they would be baptized at their second Easter Vigil. Unfortunately many parishes cut the catechumenate short.
For someone who is already baptized there isn’t the requirement of a year of preparation. When the candidate and the RCIA team believe the person is ready for their profession of faith it can be scheduled.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
At any Catholic Church united to the Holy See:
If a person decides during the summer that he wants to become Catholic and are NOT BAPTIZED, they would enter a period of Inquiry, then a year in the Catechumenate, and be Baptized the during the following Easter vigil, after completing the year in the Catechumenate.
If a person decides during the summer that he wants to become Catholic and they are validly BAPTIZED, they would also enter a period of Inquiry, then receive catechesis as a Candidate for several months to a year, and be Confirmed and receive Holy Communion sometime during the following year. They should not be received at the Easter vigil but at some other time.
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CDNowak
Guest
Brother, I thought that RCIA was particularly Latin, no?
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pro_multis
Guest
I guess I just do not understand why the church would want to withhold the sacrament of baptism from a believer for such a long time. What happens if the person dies unbaptized during that year?
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
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Pixie_Dust
Guest
Because the Church wants to make sure the believer is making an informed decision to be baptized into the Church. If the person dies before they can be baptized, the Church teaches that they may go to Heaven because they desired baptism.
CCC #1249 Catechumens “are already joined to the Church, they are already of the household of Christ, and are quite frequently already living a life of faith, hope, and charity.” “With love and solicitude mother Church already embraces them as her own.”
CCC #1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Once the person is a Catechumen, if they die suddenly and it is not possible for someone to Baptize them under emergency conditions or for the priest to Baptize and Confirm them under emergency conditions. They are still given full Christian burial rites. Because they professed their desire for Baptism during the Rite of Acceptance.
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John_Lilburne
Guest
The RCIA introductions for England and Wales are at catholic-ew.org.uk/liturgy/Resources/Rites/RiteRitual.html#RCIA . The USA edition has different paragraph numbers.
In Section 5, RECEPTION OF BAPTISED CHRISTIANS INTO THE FULL COMMUNION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, it has:
“391 The baptised Christian is to receive both doctrinal and spiritual preparation, adapted to individual pastoral requirements, for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.The candidate should learn to deepen an inner adherence to the Church, where he or she will find the fulness of his or her baptism. During the period of preparation the candidate may share in worship in conformity witli the provisions of the Ecumenical Directory.
Anything that would equate candidates for reception with those who are catechumens is
to be absolutely avoided.”
In the edition of the RCIA liturgical book approved for the USA it has a ceremony described with the title “CELEBRATION AT THE EASTER VIGIL OF THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION AND OF THE RITE OF RECEPTION INTO THE FULL COMMUNION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH”. It begins: “566. Those who will be received into full communion at the Easter Vigil, along with their sponsors, should take places apart from the elect who will be called forward for the celebration of baptism.” (From The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 325.)
But it is worth noting that for the ceremony of someone being received into full communion:
“Any appearance of triumphalism should be carefully avoided and the manner of celebrating this Mass should be decided beforehand and with a view to the particular circumstances. Both the ecumenical implications and the bond between the candidate and the parish community should be considered. Often it will be preferable to celebrate the Mass with only a few relatives and friends. If for a serious reason Mass cannot be celebrated, the reception should at least take place within a liturgy of the word, whenever this is possible. The person to be received into full communion
should be consulted about the form of reception.”
(RCIA book, UK edition, n. 389(2), USA edition n. 475(2), The Rites Vol. 1, page 275.)
In Section 5, RECEPTION OF BAPTISED CHRISTIANS INTO THE FULL COMMUNION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, it has:
“391 The baptised Christian is to receive both doctrinal and spiritual preparation, adapted to individual pastoral requirements, for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.The candidate should learn to deepen an inner adherence to the Church, where he or she will find the fulness of his or her baptism. During the period of preparation the candidate may share in worship in conformity witli the provisions of the Ecumenical Directory.
Anything that would equate candidates for reception with those who are catechumens is
to be absolutely avoided.”
In the edition of the RCIA liturgical book approved for the USA it has a ceremony described with the title “CELEBRATION AT THE EASTER VIGIL OF THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION AND OF THE RITE OF RECEPTION INTO THE FULL COMMUNION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH”. It begins: “566. Those who will be received into full communion at the Easter Vigil, along with their sponsors, should take places apart from the elect who will be called forward for the celebration of baptism.” (From The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 325.)
But it is worth noting that for the ceremony of someone being received into full communion:
“Any appearance of triumphalism should be carefully avoided and the manner of celebrating this Mass should be decided beforehand and with a view to the particular circumstances. Both the ecumenical implications and the bond between the candidate and the parish community should be considered. Often it will be preferable to celebrate the Mass with only a few relatives and friends. If for a serious reason Mass cannot be celebrated, the reception should at least take place within a liturgy of the word, whenever this is possible. The person to be received into full communion
should be consulted about the form of reception.”
(RCIA book, UK edition, n. 389(2), USA edition n. 475(2), The Rites Vol. 1, page 275.)
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Rachel_1
Guest
When I first started RCIA the first few months I felt like I already knew what we were about to learn (because I had been studying different beliefs on my own for 4 years), however, even in the studying of the Catechism I realized that I still had much to learn.
I think everyone should at least give RCIA a chance even if they are knowledgeable about Catholicism because they can always learn more
I <3 RCIA
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puzzleannie
Guest
there are no such thing as “novus ordo churches”. there is one holy catholic apostolic Church with the Pope as her head on earth. The norm in the Catholic Church for reception of unbaptized adults (anyone over the age of reason) is the RCIA. the RCIA expects a formal baptismal catechumenate, after an period of inquiry and initial evangelization, of not less than one liturgical year.
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puzzleannie
Guest
the would be catechumens and enjoy the same privileges and conditions as catechumens have enjoyed for 2000 years, and be considered to have desired baptism should they die before the sacraments. If you want to learn more about RCIA, join with us in those discussions on the evangelization forum. If you would like to know more about the sacraments of initiation themselves, baptism specifically, this is your forum. You may find many of your questions have already been discussed and this could save you a lot of time in your research.
I see you are new to the forums, welcome, if you would also like to know more about the Church, doubly welcome you are in the right place.
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Melchior_1
Guest
My situation is a bit different because I’m not working with “adults” but teenagers and young adults (“RCIT” basically). But typically our Candidates (who need Confirmation but are already Baptized beforehand) get confirmed at the Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday along with everyone else in the diocese. Catechumens generally “hit for the cycle” and receive all their Sacraments at Easter Vigil.
There are, of course, exceptions. My wife was one of them when she converted, we started much later then usually.
There are, of course, exceptions. My wife was one of them when she converted, we started much later then usually.
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aspirant
Guest
Agreed.
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5Loaves
Guest
Br. Rich-
Pax et bonum- Mary
In my experience, limited I admit, the catechumenate, (more correctly the periods of pre-catechumenate/inquiry, catechumenate, purification and enlightenment, and mystagogy), but not the RCIA, is part of the Latin Church and ECCs, as well as the Orthodox. This happened to come up today in a class I’m in, taught by a EC priest with mainly Latin Church students. He was not comfortable with using “RCIA” to talk about the the periods of pre-catechumenate, catechumenate, purification and enlightenment, and mystagogy in the East. I observe also that the Rites described in the Rites book of RCIA are connected to the Roman Missal.
Pax et bonum- Mary
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
There may very well be different terms used. I do know of one Byzantine parish that does use RCIA and calls it that.
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5Loaves
Guest
That doesn’t surprise me. It would need a number of adaptations for the Rites based on the Roman Missal, and the differences in the readings we have etc…
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