What sacrament makes one officially Part of the Church

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My wife is going through RCIA, because she was baptised Baptist they have no records of her baptism and said that she will have to be baptised again. My question is Being she is going to be Baptised in the Catholic Church by a Catholic Bishop, wil she be offically part of the Catholic Church upon baptism or is it not official until she goes through Reconciliation, First Communion, & Conformation.
Thank you and God Bless,
Randy
 
if she has already been baptized through sprinkling, pouring water or by immersion with the Trinitarian formula she is already a member of the Church, the Body of Christ. She completes her Christian initiation through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

If she was baptized as an infant or child, parents or other witnesses to the baptism can attest to the event if the church itself can provide no record. If she was baptized as an adult, she and other adult who witnessed it can attest in an affidavit. If there are no witnesses available, but she is sure she was baptized but can produce no record, she will have a conditional baptism, probably in private, before Easter. The priest will pronounce the baptismal formula, adding the words “if you are not already baptized”.

If behind your question is a request for fuller information on Catholic belief on salvation, the tract on the CA homepage is an excellent intro.
 
She is officially part of the Catholic Church as soon as she is properly baptized (In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) and she wants to be Catholic. It does not matter who does it (it could even be illicit, but always valid). It appears that the problem is that there is not clear evidence that she was baptized and in these cases she has to go through the conditional baptism. The conditional baptism simply says that if she was not baptized now she is, and if she were baptized the second rite will not add (or change) anything to the first one.
 
puzzleannie said:
if she has already been baptized through sprinkling, pouring water or by immersion with the Trinitarian formula she is already a member of the Church, the Body of Christ. She completes her Christian initiation through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist…
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How can she be a member of the **Church **if she is baptized in a Baptist Church? Isn’t it only when she is either baptized in the Catholic Church (if not baptized before) or when she makes a profession of faith? That would mean anyone baptized in the Methodist Church, for example would be Catholic.:confused:

:heart:Blyss
 
BlyssfulDreamer said:
How can she be a member of the **Church **if she is baptized in a Baptist Church? Isn’t it only when she is either baptized in the Catholic Church (if not baptized before) or when she makes a profession of faith? That would mean anyone baptized in the Methodist Church, for example would be Catholic.:confused:

:heart:Blyss
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Yes! You are correct, even an atheist can baptize you and you are a member of the Church. Please refer to Lumen Gentium (chapter 8 ??) for a better understanding. I think that your understanding of the Church is a little bit more restrictive than it truly is.
 
You can only be baptized once. As long it was done with water and using the Trinitarian formula, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…then that is a legal baptism in any denomination.

When one wishes to join the Catholic church after a suitable period of study…like the RCIA, they are asked to make a profession of faith…I believe in God the Father…etc.

just like during the Easter season when we renew our own baptismal vows.

Usually adults who join the Catholic church will make this profession during the Easter Vigil mass. At that same mass they will then receive their other sacraments.

God bless all of you! May the fire of the Holy Spirit enkindle an even greater love for Jesus and his Body the Church
 
From the Council of Florence (1439):

“Three of the sacraments, namely baptism, confirmation and orders, imprint indelibly on the soul a character, that is a kind of stamp which distinguishes it from the rest. Hence they are not repeated in the same person. The other four, however, do not imprint a character and can be repeated. Holy baptism holds the first place among all the sacraments, for it is the gate of the spiritual life; through it we become members of Christ and of the body of the church.”

Likewise, Pope St. Stephen I (in the third century), affirming the constant teaching of the Church, condemned the rebaptism of non-Catholics who were already Baptized.

So, yes, anyone who has been validly Baptized, and is not mortally guilty of heresy, schism, or apostacy is a member of the Church. But, this communion is imperfect because it Christ wills that we be of one mind professing the same faith united under one shepherd.

Also, since we cannot judge whether or not someone is mortally guilty of the above sins, just like any other grave sin we should do what we can to persuade others to abandon their possibly damning errors and come into full Communion with the Church. 👍
 
Genesis315 said:
From the Council of Florence (1439):

“Three of the sacraments, namely baptism, confirmation and orders, imprint indelibly on the soul a character, that is a kind of stamp which distinguishes it from the rest. Hence they are not repeated in the same person. The other four, however, do not imprint a character and can be repeated. Holy baptism holds the first place among all the sacraments, for it is the gate of the spiritual life; through it we become members of Christ and of the body of the church.”

Likewise, Pope St. Stephen I (in the third century), affirming the constant teaching of the Church, condemned the rebaptism of non-Catholics who were already Baptized.

So, yes, anyone who has been validly Baptized, and is not mortally guilty of heresy, schism, or apostacy is a member of the Church. But, this communion is imperfect because it Christ wills that we be of one mind professing the same faith united under one shepherd.

Also, since we cannot judge whether or not someone is mortally guilty of the above sins, just like any other grave sin we should do what we can to persuade others to abandon their possibly damning errors and come into full Communion with the Church. 👍
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Thanks for the detailed reference. I knew that there is always someone that is not as lazy as I am in looking for and posting the proper reference.
 
BlyssfulDreamer said:
How can she be a member of the **Church **if she is baptized in a Baptist Church? Isn’t it only when she is either baptized in the Catholic Church (if not baptized before) or when she makes a profession of faith? That would mean anyone baptized in the Methodist Church, for example would be Catholic.:confused:

:heart:Blyss
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there is, as Paul reminds us, one Lord, one Faith and one Baptism. Yes, anyone validly baptized is already a member of the one true Church established by Christ, although they may be imperfectly united with the Church, and may not yet possess the fullness of the Truth taught by that Church. A baptized person completes Christian initation (baptism is the first step, confirmation and first communion are steps 2 & 3) when they profess the Faith held and taught by the Catholic Church, embraces the Catholic faith, teaching and practice, and completes the initiatory sacraments.
 
Thanks for clearing that up for me puzzleannie:thumbsup:

:heart:Blyss
 
lilran711 said:
My wife is going through RCIA, because she was baptised Baptist they have no records of her baptism and said that she will have to be baptised again. My question is Being she is going to be Baptised in the Catholic Church by a Catholic Bishop, wil she be offically part of the Catholic Church upon baptism or is it not official until she goes through Reconciliation, First Communion, & Conformation.
Thank you and God Bless,
Randy
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A person becomes fully a Catholic when they have completed their Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism (any valid Baptism, Baptism can only be received once), Confirmation (from or on the authority of a valid Bishop), First Holy Communion.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
A person becomes fully a Catholic when they have completed their Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism (any valid Baptism, Baptism can only be received once), Confirmation (from or on the authority of a valid Bishop), First Holy Communion.
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You are right, of course- 👍 , but salvifically speaking only baptism is necessary. That is why the rules regarding baptism are less stringent- requiring only water and the Trinitarian formula, than for other sacraments. That is what the other posters have been saying, basically.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
A person becomes fully a Catholic when they have completed their Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism (any valid Baptism, Baptism can only be received once), Confirmation (from or on the authority of a valid Bishop), First Holy Communion.
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If that’s the case then we have a bunch of kids who are not fully Catholic receiving Communion until they’re Confirmed, that is. While these three Sacraments constitute full initiation into the Church, you become a member of the Catholic Church at your baptism pending the other two Sacraments. Br. Rich SFO, this is what I was always taught and it is what I teach in my pre- baptism classes…🙂
 
teachccd said:
If that’s the case then we have a bunch of kids who are not fully Catholic receiving Communion until they’re Confirmed, that is. While these three Sacraments constitute full initiation into the Church, you become a member of the Catholic Church at your baptism pending the other two Sacraments. Br. Rich SFO, this is what I was always taught and it is what I teach in my pre- baptism classes…🙂
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Technically speaking Baptism makes a person a Christian and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. Every Catholic is a Christian, but not every Christian is a Catholic. That is why RCIA is the Rite of **Christian **Initiation, and not the Rite of Catholic Initiation.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Technically speaking Baptism makes a person a Christian and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. Every Catholic is a Christian, but not every Christian is a Catholic. That is why RCIA is the Rite of **Christian **Initiation, and not the Rite of Catholic Initiation.
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Fair enough. Thank you…🙂
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
A person becomes fully a Catholic when they have completed their Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism (any valid Baptism, Baptism can only be received once), Confirmation (from or on the authority of a valid Bishop), First Holy Communion.
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As an RCIA Candiadte, I will be getting the Confirmation and First Communion at the upcoming easter Vigil. But what is the Sacrrament of Initiation??? Was that the Signing Of The Senses I went through awhile ago?

(And i will probably need a conditional baptism)
 
Andruschak- The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation (and First Eucharist). They are levels of membership of the Church, and it is not one different, 8th sacrament. As for the Signing of the Senses, I have no idea what that is.
 
Please correct me if I’m wrong. If someone was baptised in the correct formula but not in a Catholic church then later in life decided to convert to the Catholic Church and started attending RCIA, they would be Catholic even though they have not been officially confirmed yet. I always thought you would not be concidered Catholic until the Easter vigil but maybe I’m wrong about that.
 
seeker_b said:
Please correct me if I’m wrong. If someone was baptised in the correct formula but not in a Catholic church then later in life decided to convert to the Catholic Church and started attending RCIA, they would be Catholic even though they have not been officially confirmed yet. I always thought you would not be concidered Catholic until the Easter vigil but maybe I’m wrong about that.
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That is a difficult question because of the way we loosely use certain terms. Technically anyone can live a “Catholic” life, without even considering themselves Catholic. All validly Baptized people are Christians and are always incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ through that Baptism. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. This is why Vatican II speaks of separated Baptized Christians as being imperfectly united to the Catholic Church. A Profession of Faith, the Sacrament of Confirmation and reception of First Holy Communion are what completes ones initiation into the Catholic Church.

To be fully Catholic one must be fully initiated into the Faith and freely live according to that faith.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Technically speaking Baptism makes a person a Christian and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. Every Catholic is a Christian, but not every Christian is a Catholic. That is why RCIA is the Rite of **Christian **Initiation, and not the Rite of Catholic Initiation.
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Right. This is also why the Catechism can call Protestants joined to the Catholic Church, albeit imperfectly. This is also how the Church can say that they too may be saved if ignorant of the fullness of faith through no fault of their own. They are not completely “outside” the Church, by virtue of our common baptism.
 
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