Rite of Election

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I’m going to go through the rites of sending and election tomorrow. I am just wondering, does that make me an official part of the church, or do I have to wait for confermation for that? I was told that after the rite of election I can go to confession (But still can’t take the Eucharist) Is this true?
 
From what I was told in RCIA is the Rite of Election is the sign that your journey to the Catholic church is almost at an end. I went to confession before my baptism, confirmation, and first communion. And from what I have seen and heard that is the norm.
 
gatewood1988 said:
From what I was told in RCIA is the Rite of Election is the sign that your journey to the Catholic church is almost at an end. I went to confession before my baptism, confirmation, and first communion. And from what I have seen and heard that is the norm.
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Can the priest absolve me of sins?
 
gatewood1988 said:
From what I was told in RCIA is the Rite of Election is the sign that your journey to the Catholic church is almost at an end. I went to confession before my baptism, confirmation, and first communion. And from what I have seen and heard that is the norm.
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Why would they have you go to Confession before Baptism? Baptism cleanses us of all our sins, past and present. Plus, one must be baptized before receiving the other sacraments. Just curious. I don’t think this is the norm.
 
I thought that was wierd too. Now in our new parish, they’re having my husband do it that way too (he’s in RCIA this year), so I assumed it’s the norm.
 
Jesness said:
I’m going to go through the rites of sending and election tomorrow. I am just wondering, does that make me an official part of the church, or do I have to wait for confermation for that? I was told that after the rite of election I can go to confession (But still can’t take the Eucharist) Is this true?
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Not clear
are you baptized? then you should not be going through the rite of election, but you may be invited to answer the Call to Continuing Conversion, which may be celebrated for baptized candidates at the same time.

if you are not baptized, the rite of election makes you a member of the elect, and signifies your attention to ask for baptism and confirmation at Easter, so while you do have certain privileges as a catechumen and elect, your are not yet a full member of the Church until you receive the initiation sacraments. A catechumen or elect may have a Christian funeral, for instance.

if you are already baptized you should make your first confession sometime in Lent, after you have been properly instructed, but before confirmation. If you will be baptized at Easter, that sacrament removes all sin, original and actual, so you are prepared for and make your first confession sometime after Easter, during the Mystagogy period, which is one reason why it is important to keep on coming to class after Easter.
 
There does seem to be a bit og confusion. It all depends if you have already been validly baptized.

If “yes”, you are being called to conversion, and will have to go thru confession prior to confirmation and partaking og the Eucharist.

If the answer is “no I have not been validly baptized” then you will go thru the Rite of Election and become one of the elect.

You will have no need of confession prior to your baptism since that will wash away all sins up to that point in your life.

Hope that clears up your question? Welcome and God Bless:thumbsup:
 
A conditional baptism is done on Holy Saturday night if the one joining the Church cannot provide proof that they were actually baptized (using water and the Trinitarian formula). This occurs where there may not be anyone around who can substantiate that one has been baptized (re.g. parents have died, one cannot identify in what church the baptism occurred, the church no longer exists, or no official records can be found).

When one is being conditionally baptized, then one would go to confession before Holy Saturday night.

If one has not been baptized before, or if one were baptized in a church that did not use the Trinitarian formula (e.g. Johova’s Witness), then one would have no business whatsoever going to Confession before.

If one is not being baptized, but rather making a profession of faith, then one goes to confession before.
 
otjm said:
A conditional baptism is done on Holy Saturday night if the one joining the Church cannot provide proof that they were actually baptized (using water and the Trinitarian formula). This occurs where there may not be anyone around who can substantiate that one has been baptized (re.g. parents have died, one cannot identify in what church the baptism occurred, the church no longer exists, or no official records can be found).

When one is being conditionally baptized, then one would go to confession before Holy Saturday night.
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Current practice seems to be gravitating to administering conditional baptisms before Holy Saturday and then the person goes to confession. I think this is to maintain the proper order of sacraments - baptism before any other.

A minor point, but it is well to stick to the letter of the law whenever possible. Let’s set a good example.
 
Jesness said:
I’m going to go through the rites of sending and election tomorrow. I am just wondering, does that make me an official part of the church, or do I have to wait for confermation for that? I was told that after the rite of election I can go to confession (But still can’t take the Eucharist) Is this true?
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Though they are not sacramental members (Order of the Faithful) of the church, catechumens (the unbaptized) are members of the Catholic Church in the Order of the Catechumens. The Rites of Sending and Election place them in the phase of Purification and Enlightenment (Lent), the period of time in which they reflect and meditate on their need for the Sacraments of Initiation.

It is not proper nor necessary for a catechumen to go to confession prior to being initiated. Baptism forgives all sin completely. This is why Confirmation and the Eucharist are also received at the same time.

For those who are candidates (baptized) going through RCIA, the path is a bit different. Confession would then be needed prior to reception of Confirmation and Eucharist.
 
gatewood1988 said:
From what I was told in RCIA is the Rite of Election is the sign that your journey to the Catholic church is almost at an end. I went to confession before my baptism, confirmation, and first communion. And from what I have seen and heard that is the norm.
Click to expand...
This is NOT the norm for catechumens. Only for candidates.
 
I didn’t know it wasn’t the norm. Like I said I received confession before my baptism and the priest knew that my Mormon baptism when I was 8 wasn’t valid. And I know that my husband’s baptism in the Pentecostal faith wasn’t valid, so why is our parish out here making him go to confession before baptism too?
 
gatewood1988 said:
I didn’t know it wasn’t the norm. Like I said I received confession before my baptism and the priest knew that my Mormon baptism when I was 8 wasn’t valid. And I know that my husband’s baptism in the Pentecostal faith wasn’t valid, so why is our parish out here making him go to confession before baptism too?
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The RCIA rites have evolved, and been corrected, slowly; more slowly in some places than in others. All seem to be getting better.
 
gatewood1988 said:
I didn’t know it wasn’t the norm. Like I said I received confession before my baptism and the priest knew that my Mormon baptism when I was 8 wasn’t valid. And I know that my husband’s baptism in the Pentecostal faith wasn’t valid, so why is our parish out here making him go to confession before baptism too?
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Curious: I thought pentecostals baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
 
He was just baptized in the name of Jesus, not a trinitarian baptism. It was at a small country church and the pastor and her husband ran the church on her property but they considered themselves (like an oxymoron) Pentecostal Non Denominational.😃
 
CB_Catholic said:
Why would they have you go to Confession before Baptism? Baptism cleanses us of all our sins, past and present. Plus, one must be baptized before receiving the other sacraments. Just curious. I don’t think this is the norm.
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I was already validly baptized in another denomination (Baptist) I went through the rites of sending(?) in a morning mass where I and the rest of my RCIA group wrote our names in the book of the elect, (Baptized and unbaptized) then later that day we went to Holy Name Cathedral (The church of the Arch Diacies of Chicago) for the rite of election and to meet the cardnal. We were accepted by the Church community and blessed. Baptized were on one side of the alter, and the unbaptized on the other, but all were present at the same time, (though I believe we recieved differen’t prayers/blessings). It was all rather confusing, but from what I gathered I’m more or less a member of the church, but won’t reach full communion until Easter when I recieve first communion and confermation.

However, my question still remains, since I am not going to be baptized again, can I go to confession and be absolved of sins preferably before the week of Easter?
 
Jesness said:
I was already validly baptized in another denomination (Baptist) I went through the rites of sending(?) in a morning mass where I and the rest of my RCIA group wrote our names in the book of the elect, (Baptized and unbaptized) then later that day we went to Holy Name Cathedral (The church of the Arch Diacies of Chicago) for the rite of election and to meet the cardnal. We were accepted by the Church community and blessed. Baptized were on one side of the alter, and the unbaptized on the other, but all were present at the same time, (though I believe we recieved differen’t prayers/blessings). It was all rather confusing, but from what I gathered I’m more or less a member of the church, but won’t reach full communion until Easter when I recieve first communion and confermation.

However, my question still remains, since I am not going to be baptized again, can I go to confession and be absolved of sins preferably before the week of Easter?
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By virtue of your baptism, you are a Christian. You left that information out in your original post.

That makes you a candidate and not a catechumen. Therefore, it would be appropriate for your RCIA team to prepare you for confession prior to reception of Confirmation and Holy Communion. (refer to post #10, where I said this)

Peace.
 
Jesness said:
…

However, my question still remains, since I am not going to be baptized again, can I go to confession and be absolved of sins preferably before the week of Easter?
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Not only you can, but you must in order to receive the other sacraments at the Vigil.
 
Jesness said:
I was already validly baptized in another denomination (Baptist) I went through the rites of sending(?) in a morning mass where I and the rest of my RCIA group wrote our names in the book of the elect, (Baptized and unbaptized) then later that day we went to Holy Name Cathedral (The church of the Arch Diacies of Chicago) for the rite of election and to meet the cardnal. We were accepted by the Church community and blessed. Baptized were on one side of the alter, and the unbaptized on the other, but all were present at the same time, (though I believe we recieved differen’t prayers/blessings). It was all rather confusing, but from what I gathered I’m more or less a member of the church, but won’t reach full communion until Easter when I recieve first communion and confermation.

However, my question still remains, since I am not going to be baptized again, can I go to confession and be absolved of sins preferably before the week of Easter?
Click to expand...
YES. Make an appointment with your priest. My husband is in the same boat…and he has already done his first reconciliation with the words of absolution.

And WELCOME:thumbsup:
 
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