Catholic Living 101: How do I become a Catholic?

 

Across the D.C. Metro area, in fact, across the entire nation, parish bulletins are including an announcement for the beginning of an Inquirers Class. For those wishing to become a Catholic, this is a good first step. This is the first phase of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults or RCIA. This process is designed for those who have never been baptized. Note that the "C" in RCIA stands for Christian, not Catholic. Still, in most parishes, even those who are already Christian but are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church are instructed through the RCIA program. The RCIA process was instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1972.

This program consists of four phases. It begins with the Inquiry phase. This is a time to get acquainted with the Catholic Church. There is an introduction to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Inquirers study the basic teachings of the Church with regards to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, the Sacred Scriptures, prayer, and morality. They reflect on their own lives in relation to these teachings. The Period of Inquiry is relatively informal. There can be group study as well as time for individual spiritual advisement.

Following the Period of Inquiry is the Catechumenate Phase. Those who wish to continue their journey into the Church begin a time of more focused study. They attend Mass on Sundays, but because they are not yet full members of the Church, they leave after the homily to continue their study of the Scriptures with an RCIA instructor. During this phase, those who do not been validly baptized are known as "catechumens". The Catholic Church recognizes baptism received in most other Christian sects as valid as long as the proper trinitarian form was used. A valid baptism must use the words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Some Protestant denominations have moved to use alternative wording such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Such a baptism is not recognized as valid by the Catholic Church. A person can only be validly baptized once. If there is a concern or question about the validity of a previous baptism, there can be a conditional baptism. The priest uses the words, "If you are not baptized, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".  During the Catechumenate Phase, those who have already received a valid Christian baptism are called "candidates".

The Election Phase is the third phase of RCIA. This begins on the first Sunday of Lent and begins an intense time preparation for reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. The three sacraments required for full initiation into the Catholic Church are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. In the Rite of Election, the bishop extends a formal invitation to the catechumens to complete their journey into the Catholic Church. Following this, the catechumens are known as the "elect".  This process culminates with the reception of the catechumens into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. They are baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist.  Candidates also complete their formation as Catholics and receive confirmation and the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. They are now Catholic.

While the candidates and catechumens become fully Catholic at the Easter Vigil, the RCIA process is not finished. The Mystagogy Phase is the final step in the RCIA program. This is a time to consolidate and reinforce the teachings of the Church. It is also meant to help the new Catholics see that learning about the Faith does not end with the Sacraments of Initiation. Religious education and spiritual growth are lifelong endeavors.

For those validly baptized Christians who are not Catholic but are already fairly well grounded in Catholic teaching and desire full communion with the Church, it may be appropriate to enter the Catholic Church through private instruction instead of the full RCIA program. It is necessary to meet with a priest to evaluate this possibility. When the priest determines the candidate is adequately prepared, he arranges for the Christian to make a formal Profession of Faith. The candidate can then receive Communion. If the priest has also been given the faculties to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, the candidate can be fully initiated into the Church. Most diocese also have an adult confirmation program for those who only need this Sacrament of Initiation. Adult confirmations are usually done by the bishop on the Feast of Pentecost.

For more information:

Diocese of Arlington information on becoming a Catholic

Archdiocese of Washington information on becoming a Catholic

Catholics Come Home information on becoming a Catholic

Sermon on what it means to be Catholic (audio file)