What are the criteria or characteristics that a priest looks for in a candidate before they can enter full communion with the Church?

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I am a candidate and I am going to talk to my priest this week to get his approval to make my first confession and receive the other Sacraments by Easter. All of my sponsors agree that I am ready, but the pastor of my parish sounds reluctant at best. I have a solid foundation of the faith, I go to Mass every sunday, and I pray. I do not know what else I can do, besides pray. Despite the fact that my sponsors agree, the ultimate decision lays in the hands of the pastor. Now I can only pray and trust in God’s divine will; which is never a bad place to be.

Is there anything that a priest looks for in a candidate? Is there any specific thing I need to make sure my pastor understands?

Please pray for me.
 
Hmm. I’m in RCIA and I just don’t understand this question. Unless you are notorious in the community, I don’t know why there would be any serious question. The Priest may want to have a chat with you first but why would he deny you full communion?
 
It is not that the priest would DENY my entrance to the Church, but DELAY it. My grandfather passed away this year along with other complications that prevented me from starting RCIA earlier. I officially started two Sundays ago, but I have been attending this parish for well over a month until RCIA classes were started for me.

The priest thinks that I am moving too fast to be receive first Communion on Easter Sunday, but I have been studying Catholicism for 4 years.

My question is:

Is there any reason that would delay my first Confession from taking place this week or next?
 
I am a candidate and I am going to talk to my priest this week to get his approval to make my first confession and receive the other Sacraments by Easter. All of my sponsors agree that I am ready, but the pastor of my parish sounds reluctant at best. I have a solid foundation of the faith, I go to Mass every sunday, and I pray. I do not know what else I can do, besides pray. Despite the fact that my sponsors agree, the ultimate decision lays in the hands of the pastor. Now I can only pray and trust in God’s divine will; which is never a bad place to be.

Is there anything that a priest looks for in a candidate? Is there any specific thing I need to make sure my pastor understands?

Please pray for me.
Spiritual Conversion and that you are actually living out the Catholic faith in your everyday life and actions.
 
Make sure you demonstrate to him that you are knowledgable about the faith, tell him that you believe what the Church teaches, and inform him that you have been going to Mass for X period of time now. Tell him that you desire to become Catholic, and ask him to allow you to come into the Church at this Easter.
 
The Church considers conversion to the Faith to be a serious matter. Nothing in your thread indicates that the priest knows how much you have been studying, what you have learned, what you might have troubles with, where there may be weaknesses in your journey to the Faith, and he is responsible for determining that.

If I were he and you had just started in RCIA, I would have some hesitancy too, at least until I had some sort of conversation with you - and not a 5 minute one, either. You should be pleased that the priest cares enough both for the Fatih and for you that he is not flippantly saying “Sure, no problem; this is just a formality anyway”.

So what do you know about the Faith? History ( some comprehension of Old and New Testament, and something of the Church over the last 2000 years); sacraments, pracitices, morality, how do you answer Christ’s question (“Who do you say I am?”), eschatology ( $.50 word for where is this ultimately going) and a host of other issues.

You may be well prepared. You may have gone down a rabbit hole, or more than one. If you are already baptized, what does it mean for you to say " I accept and profess all that the Catholic Church accepts and professes"? What does the “all” mean in that sentance?

The Church does not require you to be a theologian, or to have St Thomas Aquinas memorized. But there are some issues which we consider seriously important (you can start by dissecting the Creed) and he needs to ascertain where you are in this Journey.
And the journey doesn’t end on Holy Saturday night; it just begins in earnest.

Fear not; go in and answer as best you can, and understand that if he is not comfortable, he has your best interest in mind. We have way, way too many half-baked Catholics already. We don’t need more, and he wants to be sure you understand what you are committing to, and that you are committing. Welcome to the Journey!
 
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