Turn off at entering the Catholic Church

[zenith15]

My personal feeling boils down to this------they need more people working on these things, period. NO one who wishes to enter the church, is willing to do and provide whatever the church wishes, including filling out enormous forms, paying large amounts of money (and I must insert here for honesty’s sake that I requested due to being extremely poor to have the amount–which would have been 400 per annulment as I recall–reduced, and they DID reduce it, it’s still a financial hardship for a family like ours) contacting ex husband’s the whereabouts of which have not been known for over 25 years, trying to dig up witnesses who would remember any kind of detail of divorces from the very early 80’s that I still know, and so on and so forth, ought to be left on the sidelines watching class after class after class graduate into being “real” Catholics, then hear that Cannon law says I CAN be accepted due to my current situation–from a current cannon lawyer/priest–and have everyone at the church ok it, and being so relieved and thrilled that FINALLY my chance had come–and then be told that because we are unexpectedly switching priests, well, who knows, now–may not happen at all.

I mean, either there are rules on these things or there are not, and if they are, they should be followed, not just be at the whim of one person or another. Cannon Law says that if you vow to live together as brother and sister–which we already do–and you have an underage child–you need not move out, and you can still enter the church and receive the sacraments as you await the annulment proceedings and marriage validation to progress.We don’t hear much about this because most people would prefer to wait it out than “live as brother and sister”–but we are already IN that situation, and even if it CHANGED which is unlikely anytime soon we would STILL keep the vow–then I should be allowed to enter, from what I understand, read, and have been told by those much higher up than myself.

To prevent someone from entering the full Communion with Christ, and the full Grace of the Church for years and years because they don’t have enough people to process the paperwork or because one priest’s “feelings” on Cannon LAW are not the same as another’s, is, in my opinion, cruel.

 

[CleverUserName]

Again, it’s not a year. We are talking about being told, after waiting 18 months ALREADY, that it may be another 3 to 4 YEARS, even though we live in a chaste relationship because of his health and we have a young child which dispenses us from having to move out according to Cannon law. I find it hard to believe, it a real world where 50% of people are divorced at least once if not multiple times, that my case is so exceptionally unusual and that almost all adult converts who come to the church in their late 40’s have never been divorced and remarried.

I was responding to the original poster, not you. There is a woman in our parish who has been waiting 5 years for her annulment. My heart breaks for her. My heart breaks for you. I agree with Zenith that there needs to be more people working on annulments, to speed up the process.

 

[jmcrae]

And this is all very true. However, having the traditional cycle of RCIA drag on not just for a year, but for years and years and years, due to the annulment process and lack of tribunal members to oversee it in a timely manner.

The Tribunal has nothing to do with RCIA. There is no connection. The Tribunal takes as long as it takes - they have to be thorough, and they will not be rushed, not even for RCIA.

For those who are divorced during this process they can still join the church after making a confession, but for those who have remarried–even long before the thought of becoming catholic entered their heads–the wait is often interminable, filled with delays, false hopes, disappointments—I just can’t imagine Jesus would want those who so desperately yearn to be fully joined to His Church to be kept from him for so long they could teach RCIA themselves and know more about Catholicism than 75% of the parish, all because they simply haven’t time to attend to all the “red tape”.

You will find that the reasons will become clear enough in their own good time.

Meanwhile, it is Jesus’ Church, and He is with you through the whole process. Jesus cannot be opposed to His own Church. It is He who gave us the “dumb rule” that no one may attempt marriage with more than one person.

The shortage of priests who can take time off from parish work to work on the Tribunal is caused by the same thing that causes divorce in the first place - a lack of ability among young people to commit themselves to their vocations - whether of marriage or priesthood - so while you are waiting for your case to be heard, pray for vocations to the priesthood, pray for good priests, and pray for married couples to be strengthened in their commitment to one another.

 

[AdamP88]

Hey all!
Me and my dad were having a conversation today on evangelization and different ways it could be done, ideas and problems and such and such. We stopped upon the subject of becoming a Catholic. For evangelization we think its a little ridiculous, to become a catholic while the steps are necessary you must practically give away a year of your life doing it! We think that going through all the steps, baptism, reconciliation, confirmation are essential but maybe could be cut down to be spread across a couple of weeks rather than an entire year.

Imagine a protestant thinking about becoming a catholic and then looking at what it takes, my assumption is that many would be turned off immediately at the entire entry process.

Any thoughts, comments on this? I thought it was an interesting topic to post.

God Bless All!

Hi,

This is how I see it:
I’m 24 and thinking of becoming a priest. I have been a Catholic all my life and really have only begun to tap into the fullness of what that really means in the last three or four years of my life.
I think it’s a lifelong journey - We’re talking about a great gift, not something that should be rushed…Even after you entered the Church there would be a lifetime of learning and growing in faith to do…

 

[zenith15]

The Tribunal has nothing to do with RCIA. There is no connection. The Tribunal takes as long as it takes - they have to be thorough, and they will not be rushed, not even for RCIA.

You will find that the reasons will become clear enough in their own good time.

Meanwhile, it is Jesus’ Church, and He is with you through the whole process. Jesus cannot be opposed to His own Church. It is He who gave us the “dumb rule” that no one may attempt marriage with more than one person.

The shortage of priests who can take time off from parish work to work on the Tribunal is caused by the same thing that causes divorce in the first place - a lack of ability among young people to commit themselves to their vocations - whether of marriage or priesthood - so while you are waiting for your case to be heard, pray for vocations to the priesthood, pray for good priests, and pray for married couples to be strengthened in their commitment to one another.

I don’t think I spoke of anything at all as being a “dumb rule”. I understand we have a shortage of laity for the process. However, when the shortage of laity keeps one from being accepted into the Church–NOT because the Church is being “thorough”–with that I agree, they should be thorough–then something is very wrong. When there is nothing at all in Canon law to keep me from being accepted and all was set to proceed and now it must all quite possibly grind to a halt because we are having a change of priests–I don’t understand. Is it up to Canon law or to parish priest’s opinion only? The poor lady waiting 5 years–my goodness, surely that is enough time for “thoroughness” by even the most careful of reviewers! To those of us in this situation, it often seems as though the Church wants to keep us OUT rather than bring us IN. IF one is willing to abstain from all marital relations until annulments have been completed and marriage is validly made in Church, and they have already been through the RCIA catechism a number of times, what reason is there to keep them from Christ’s table any longer?

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t think I spoke of anything at all as being a “dumb rule”. I understand we have a shortage of laity for the process. However, when the shortage of laity keeps one from being accepted into the Church–NOT because the Church is being “thorough”–with that I agree, they should be thorough–then something is very wrong. When there is nothing at all in Canon law to keep me from being accepted and all was set to proceed and now it must all quite possibly grind to a halt because we are having a change of priests–I don’t understand. Is it up to Canon law or to parish priest’s opinion only?

This, you must take up with the priest himself, when he comes.

No one should be speculating about how he will react or what he will do. He’s probably a perfectly nice person.

He does, in fact, have a say in the matter - he doesn’t “have to” be a vending machine of sacraments. He can choose to whom he gives them. Generally speaking, most priests would rather give the Sacraments in error than not.

I think, though, what’s happening is that people are just trying to prepare you for every possibility.

 

[reconman]

Hey all!
We think that going through all the steps, baptism, reconciliation, confirmation are essential but maybe could be cut down to be spread across a couple of weeks rather than an entire year.

God Bless All!

Don’t feel bad. Do you how many years I spent in catechism class? As a kid? Every Saturday?(shudders)

 

[jmcrae]

Don’t feel bad. Do you how many years I spent in catechism class? As a kid? Every Saturday?(shudders)

This is what people forget, isn’t it? Kids have to do at least 9 years of weekly Religion classes, but because they are children at the time, and it’s just part of their normal routine, It’s overlooked.

What if we made adult converts do the same nine years of Catechism that we make our Catholic kids do?

 

[figs]

This is what people forget, isn’t it? Kids have to do at least 9 years of weekly Religion classes, but because they are children at the time, and it’s just part of their normal routine, It’s overlooked.

What if we made adult converts do the same nine years of Catechism that we make our Catholic kids do?

oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth that would ensue :crying: LOL