Why does baptismal catechesis take two years?

[atassina]

A friend of mine asked me why baptismal catechesis takes two years.

I understand that a person could be baptized in less than a minute in an emergency situation. But in ordinary circumstances, why two years?

Have a nice piece of cake and some espresso.

 

[casslean]

A friend of mine asked me why baptismal catechesis takes two years.

I understand that a person could be baptized in less than a minute in an emergency situation. But in ordinary circumstances, why two years?

Have a nice piece of cake and some espresso.

I don’t think that’s a standard across the board. Our RCIA program is 7-8 months long, depending on when Easter falls, and the catechumens and candidates receive basically the same catechesis.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

There’s nothing in the rite that says “two years.” What the rite does say is this:

1. The duration of the catechumenate will depend on the grace of God and on various circumstances, such as the program of instruction for the catechumenate, the number of catechists, deacons, and priests, the cooperation of the individual catechumens, the means necessary for them to come to the site of the catechumenate and spend time there, the help of the local community. Nothing, therefore, can be settled a priori.

The time spent in the catechumenate should be long enough–several years if necessary–for the conversion and faith of the catechumens to become strong. By their formation in the entire Christian life and a sufficiently prolonged probation the catechumens are properly initiated into the mysteries of salvation and the practice of an evangelical way of life. By means of sacred rites celebrated at successive times they are led into the life of faith, worship, and charity belonging to the people of God.

There’s also this from the (US) National Statutes on the Catechumenate:

1. The period of the catechumenate, beginning at acceptance into the order of catechumens and including both the catechumenate proper and the period of purification and enlightenment after election and enrollment of names, should extend for at least one year of formation, instruction, and probation. Ordinarily this period should go from at least the Easter season of one year until the next; preferably it should begin before Lent one year and extend until Easter of the following year.

While the Church gives ranges and flexibility, many RCIA programs in parishes seem to ignore this. They essentially offer convert classes where everyone starts at a particular date and everyone finishes at the Easter Vigil. So the official answer is that it takes as long as it takes, but at least a year, but the practical answer in many parishes is it takes approximately six months.

And the answer for those already baptized is that it also takes as long as it takes but no longer than necessary – again, ignored by many parishes.

 

[CathConvert602]

A friend of mine asked me why baptismal catechesis takes two years.

I understand that a person could be baptized in less than a minute in an emergency situation. But in ordinary circumstances, why two years?

Have a nice piece of cake and some espresso.

It’s strange, the RCIA for me was 9 months, but the one for the kids (7&8 year olds) is 2 years. maybe they think that the adults can grasp more info at once, and it takes longer for the kids so it’s doled out slower?

 

[Bookcat]

A friend of mine asked me why baptismal catechesis takes two years.

I understand that a person could be baptized in less than a minute in an emergency situation. But in ordinary circumstances, why two years?
.

Normally it doesn’t.

But in the Early Church it could take THREE years…

 

[Neofight]

It’s strange, the RCIA for me was 9 months, but the one for the kids (7&8 year olds) is 2 years. maybe they think that the adults can grasp more info at once, and it takes longer for the kids so it’s doled out slower?

Not strange…the journey takes different times for different people…RCIA for me was 3 months, and I have 2 friends that each took over 3 years.

 

[KD8TZC]

I don’t think that’s a standard across the board. Our RCIA program is 7-8 months long, depending on when Easter falls, and the catechumens and candidates receive basically the same catechesis.

Same with ours.

 

[pianistclare]

It’s strange, the RCIA for me was 9 months, but the one for the kids (7&8 year olds) is 2 years. maybe they think that the adults can grasp more info at once, and it takes longer for the kids so it’s doled out slower?

Are you really talking about children who have never been Baptized, or children who are making their First Communion? The conversion classes for children who have never been catechized run concurrently with the adult classes for the same length of time.
RCIA should cover all of salvation history. Hard to cover that well in 9 months, IMHO.
Children (presuming their parents have been taking them to Mass all along, have learned at least some of the rote prayers already, and having generally basically been catechized, take 2 years to prepare for First Communion. Likewise, our teens have presumably had years of catechesis, and then have 2 years of morality, in depth discussion of the teaching of the church and the catechism and practical application before their dedicated classes for Confirmation. It’s not a mater of “getting it done”. It’s about have a good foundation.

 

[Phemie]

I don’t think that’s a standard across the board. Our RCIA program is 7-8 months long, depending on when Easter falls, and the catechumens and candidates receive basically the same catechesis.

And that is sad, in my opinion.

A well-catechized candidate should not be made to spend 7-8 months in preparation when he/she may be ready in 4-6 weeks. The Rite itself makes that point.

OTOH, a catechumen should not be told in September that he/she will be baptized in March or April. There is no guarantee that he/she will be ready at that time. Baptizing without ensuring that the person is ready is a good way to see them fall away from the faith.

Just an anecdote from a parish I know. Their catechumenate is “however long it takes” and the community is very involved. One catechumen was from either Serbia or Croatia and she was angry and couldn’t bring herself to offer the Sign of Peace to a parishioner who hailed from the enemy ethnic group back in the old country. For three years, when it came time for the Rite of Election she’d say “Do I get baptized this year?” and each year the parish said, “No.”

Then one day after being in the catechumenate all this time, she let go of the anger and eventually was able to share the Sign of Peace with her “enemy.” That year when she asked the question she was told, “Yes, you will be baptized this Easter, you are ready.” Afterwards she told of how she appreciated that they hadn’t allowed her to be baptized until she had truly “converted.”

 

[pianistclare]

And that is sad, in my opinion.

A well-catechized candidate should not be made to spend 7-8 months in preparation when he/she may be ready in 4-6 weeks. The Rite itself makes that point.

OTOH, a catechumen should not be told in September that he/she will be baptized in March or April. There is no guarantee that he/she will be ready at that time. Baptizing without ensuring that the person is ready is a good way to see them fall away from the faith.

Just an anecdote from a parish I know. Their catechumenate is “however long it takes” and the community is very involved. One catechumen was from either Serbia or Croatia and she was angry and couldn’t bring herself to offer the Sign of Peace to a parishioner who hailed from the enemy ethnic group back in the old country. For three years, when it came time for the Rite of Election she’d say “Do I get baptized this year?” and each year the parish said, “No.”

Then one day after being in the catechumenate all this time, she let go of the anger and eventually was able to share the Sign of Peace with her “enemy.” That year when she asked the question she was told, “Yes, you will be baptized this Easter, you are ready.” Afterwards she told of how she appreciated that they hadn’t allowed her to be baptized until she had truly “converted.”

That’s a beautiful story of conversion. Thanks!

 

[CathConvert602]

Are you really talking about children who have never been Baptized, or children who are making their First Communion? The conversion classes for children who have never been catechized run concurrently with the adult classes for the same length of time.
RCIA should cover all of salvation history. Hard to cover that well in 9 months, IMHO.
Children (presuming their parents have been taking them to Mass all along, have learned at least some of the rote prayers already, and having generally basically been catechized, take 2 years to prepare for First Communion. Likewise, our teens have presumably had years of catechesis, and then have 2 years of morality, in depth discussion of the teaching of the church and the catechism and practical application before their dedicated classes for Confirmation. It’s not a mater of “getting it done”. It’s about have a good foundation.

Let me clarify since I left out key subjects. I was baptized already and was going through the RCIA for the confirmation as an adult. I had children out of wedlock with these boys mom and so I couldn’t take them with me every weekend to do the concurrent classes. At that parish it would have been also just 9 months for the kids.

Due to a change in income I needed to move to another location and therefore a new parish. Its Children’s Religious Education class specifies that the child must be in 2nd grade and will attend on Tuesdays for a 2 hour class. Their RCIA also takes 2 years.

 

[pianistclare]

Let me clarify since I left out key subjects. I was baptized already and was going through the RCIA for the confirmation as an adult. I had children out of wedlock with these boys mom and so I couldn’t take them with me every weekend to do the concurrent classes. At that parish it would have been also just 9 months for the kids.

Due to a change in income I needed to move to another location and therefore a new parish. Its Children’s Religious Education class specifies that the child must be in 2nd grade and will attend on Tuesdays for a 2 hour class. Their RCIA also takes 2 years.

Interesting. We have the 2 year thing for Sacramental prep (First Communion for those already Baptized) which is not including the regular catechism classes.
All children over the age of 7 who are not baptized go to a conversion class that takes a year. Children under that age get Baptized, like infants.
Then go on to continue in religious ed from there.

 

[SMHW]

A friend of mine asked me why baptismal catechesis takes two years.

Just a few more thoughts…

First, there’s a BIG difference between catechumens who need baptism and candidates who are already baptized, even if they have not been catechized. Those who went through RCIA as baptized candidates for full initiation should not expect their experience to generalize to the unbaptized.

Catechesis has (at least) two aspects: 1) teaching the catechumen head knowledge about Catholicism; and 2) fostering interior conversion. Every person needs however much time they need. Conversion is a lot harder to measure, for both the catechumen and for the pastor.

Some catechumens have been raised in an environment where they are exposed to Christians and/or Christian principles and others haven’t. Those who haven’t are likely to need more time so they really understand/apprehend what “they are getting themselves into” by joining the Church.

In the case of older children, they are likely under a fair amount of pressure from their parents to enter the Church. It seems to me that those children might need some time to truly own their conversion.

 

[SMHW]

Another thought.

The RCIA is designed for the protection of the Church.

It protects the Church from the individual who is not ready or willing to be a Christian. And it likewise protects the individual from himself by making sure he does not make a rash decision.

 

[Phemie]

Another thought.

The RCIA is designed for the protection of the Church.

It protects the Church from the individual who is not ready or willing to be a Christian. And it likewise protects the individual from himself by making sure he does not make a rash decision.

Which is why you shouldn’t know you’ll be baptized on a specific date before you even attend the first session.

 

[casslean]

Which is why you shouldn’t know you’ll be baptized on a specific date before you even attend the first session.

I’m not sure I agree. We all started each school year expecting that on a given date we would move on to the next grade; not all of us actually did. I think if the RCIA team has properly handled the program (and not simply made it a case of shuffle everyone through the steps), then any catechumen who is not prepared to be baptized would know themselves in advance of the Vigil and would have discussed it with the team leaders.

I do think we have to be cautious of the impression that one has to “pass” RCIA to enter the church. RCIA should be a means of helping people to understand Catholicism, not serve as a gatekeeper to keep out potential “bad” Catholics.

 

[Phemie]

I’m not sure I agree. We all started each school year expecting that on a given date we would move on to the next grade; not all of us actually did. I think if the RCIA team has properly handled the program (and not simply made it a case of shuffle everyone through the steps), then any catechumen who is not prepared to be baptized would know themselves in advance of the Vigil and would have discussed it with the team leaders.

I do think we have to be cautious of the impression that one has to “pass” RCIA to enter the church. RCIA should be a means of helping people to understand Catholicism, not serve as a gatekeeper to keep out potential “bad” Catholics.

But how many parishes ever decide not to baptize? When you tell someone they’ll be baptized at the next Vigil when they make the first contact you are setting yourself up for not wanting to disappoint. Precisely because it’s not a “pass” or “fail” like school, giving a specific date should be avoided. “We’ll see how things go,” would be a much better reply to the question, “When can I be baptized?”

 

[casslean]

But how many parishes ever decide not to baptize? When you tell someone they’ll be baptized at the next Vigil when they make the first contact you are setting yourself up for not wanting to disappoint. Precisely because it’s not a “pass” or “fail” like school, giving a specific date should be avoided. “We’ll see how things go,” would be a much better reply to the question, “When can I be baptized?”

I don’t find adults tend to do well with vagueness. If there is a normal course that is followed, then that should be disclosed. If team leaders or the pastor (really, I think this is a decision probably within the pastor’s purview) don’t feel a given catechumen is adequately prepared to proceed in the normal course, then that should be handled in a gentle, honest, and forthright manner.

I know when I approached the pastor and expressed my desire to become a Catholic, if he had told me “Well, take this program and we’ll see how things go…” it would have felt like he was saying that I was going to be assessed through this program to see if I was ‘good enough’ to be Catholic. And that would not have been a welcoming invitation.

 

[SMHW]

If there is a normal course that is followed, then that should be disclosed.

This hits at my long-time big complaint.

RCIA is not a “course”.

We tend to think of it as “school”. It’s not. I wish the words “RCIA” and “classes” would never appear one after the other.

 

[Mintaka]

The first bishop of Cincinnati, Bishop Fenwick, used to go out and visit isolated Catholic communities. But he would also go speak and preach to anybody who asked him, especially Protestant communities. Sometimes he did debates, but mostly he just explained what Catholicism was, to dispel untruths and misconceptions.

On one occasion, some of the Protestant people at his speech explaining Catholicism were so impressed that they trailed behind him as he went to leave; and when they passed a stream, they quoted the eunuch in Acts and said, “Is there any reason why I cannot be baptized?” And the bishop did it, and they were Catholics after that.

So apparently, a couple of hours of extremely general catechesis is plenty.