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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4977 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Offline
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Posted: Sun Dec 2nd, 2007 07:17 pm |
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JasPax wrote: Racaela Fultz wrote: Marshall, the answer is yes, you can skip RCIA. You just have to prove to the priest that you know your stuff.
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To Marshall:
Well, Maybe. That's the way it is suppposed to work, I understand, and it's worth a try. But, in some parishes and dioceses everyon goes through RCIA with some different ceremonies for candidates and catechumens, no matter their background or knowledge of the faith.
And you're both right.
RCIA, the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults", applies only to the unbaptized. There is a parallel track called the "Call to Continuing Conversion" that may be used for convenience of the parish.
Catechumens are the unbaptized. In the early Church, they spent three years in preparation to join the Church at the Easter Vigil. The entire liturgical year revolves around the catechumenate. Catechumens were dismissed for instruction after the Liturgy of the Word; they were not permitted to remain for the "mysteries", what we now call the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Candidates for Full Communion are those who have been baptized but have not been confirmed/chrismated or received Eucharist. The Church tells us that catechumens and candidates are always to be kept separate and distinct in all ceremonies, although they may attend classes/meetings together. There should never be any doubt as to who is a catechumen and who is a candidate.
For pastoral reasons, the pastor has great flexigility in how he administers the admission of previously baptized Christians into the Church. It can take place on any Sunday, and it is actually encouraged that candidates not wait until the Easter Vigil but be individually instructed. Unfortunately, many priests are so busy that they don’t have the time for individual instruction, and do not have the staff or volunteers to give the task to others. Also, a priest does not have the "faculties" (permission) to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation/Chrismation except at the Easter Vigil, without the permission of his bishop. And the ordinary (head bishop of a diocese) has the authority to limit the pastor's flexibility. If he does not permit the administration of Confirmation, the candidate can receive Eucharist but will have to wait to be confirmed when the bishop makes his annual visit. (The bishop is the ordinary minister of confirmation.)
And frankly, some priests take the path of least resistence. Private instruction takes more of their time, and some simply are unwilling to make that time available. After all, they're human, too.
So while Racaela is right, James is, too. It doesn't always actually work that way. You'll just have to discuss it with the priest.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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EMarshallBuckles
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 19th, 2007 |
| Location: | Rockville (Near Richmond), Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 520 |
| First Name: | Marshall | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Church,Episcopal Church,Baptist denomination,learning about RCC |
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Online
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Posted: Sun Dec 2nd, 2007 08:29 pm |
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| As I mentioned at the end of another thread, while I wish you all well and pray for God's blessings upon you all, I will not be joining the Roman Catholic Church and will be supporting the church from the outside like a "flying buttress" to use the words of Churchill. I am leaving these forums and wish you all well, may God bless you. I will, however, still watch EWTN and may visit a Mass someday. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all. Respectfully, Marshall
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