The terms “catechumen” and “candidate,” closely tied to sponsors and godparents, often need clarification. A catechumen is a non-baptized person seeking baptism, full communion with the Catholic Church, and is typically entered into a formal course of instruction called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
What does it mean to be a candidate in the Catholic Church?
Instead, we call him or her a candidate.” By this we mean that this person is a candidate for the catholic Sacrament of Confirmation and a candidate preparing to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church and thus become a full member of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Communion.
What is the rite of election for catechumens?
The Rite of Election closes the Period of the Catechumenate. This rite normally coincides with the first Sunday of Lent. At this rite, upon the testimony of sponsors and catechists and the catechumens' affirmation of their intention to join the Church, the Church makes its "election" of these catechumens to receive the Sacraments of Initiation.
What is the catechumenate?
catechumenate: the period of time and the structure within which the catechumens prepare for initiation; “catechumenate” is also used as a synonym for the entire Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults convert: another term for a catechumen; “convert” should never be used to refer to a baptized person who is preparing to become a Catholic;
Can a baptized person be called a catechumen?
A baptized person should not be led automatically through the full catechumenal process or be called a catechumen. Instead, we call him or her a candidate.”
Who is considered a catechumen?
catechumen, a person who receives instruction in the Christian religion in order to be baptized. According to the New Testament, the apostles instructed converts after baptism (Acts 2:41–42), and Christian instruction was evidently given to all converts (Luke 1:4, Acts 18:25, Galatians 6:6).
What is a candidate in Catholicism?
Candidacy is a rite which takes place during Roman Catholic seminary formation, by which the Church recognizes the seminarian as worthy of being ordained (hence, they become a "candidate" for ordination to the priesthood).
What does catechumenate mean?
1 : a convert to Christianity receiving training in doctrine and discipline before baptism. 2 : one receiving instruction in the basic doctrines of Christianity before admission to communicant membership in a church.
What does candidate name mean for Church?
Individuals who wish to be received into the membership of the Catholic Church who have been baptized in another mainstream Christian denomination are known as candidates and their reception into the Catholic Church is done through a profession of faith, followed by the reception of Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Who can be baptized and what is required of a candidate?
Must be a baptized Catholic who has completed the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. May not be the parent of the child being baptized. Only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each. If married, must be married in the Catholic Church.
How do you become a Catholic if you are already baptized?
Those already baptised in another Christian church, following a period of preparation, are welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church by the reception of the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Most Holy Eucharist.
What are the four stages of the catechumenate?
what are the four stages of the catechumenate?... sign of the cross. word of god. exorcism and profession of faith. blessing of water. essential rite of baptism. annointing with sacred chrism. white garment. lit candle.
What is the catechumenate process?
Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
Why do Catholics need to be confirmed?
The Roman Catholic Church views confirmation as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ. It confers the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) upon the recipient, who must be a baptized person at least seven years old.
Are catechumens Catholic?
In most places, the catechumens will be received into the Church during the Easter Vigil. Because they are becoming Catholic as adults, they generally receive all of the sacraments of initiation at once: they are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
What does final candidate status mean?
Final Candidate Approved - Final review and approvals are complete and the Hiring Manager or Assistant has received confirmation from the Recruiter to move forward with VERBAL negotiations.
How do you present a candidate for confirmation?
Most Reverend Bishop (name), the parish of (name) presents these candidates for the sacrament of confirmation. Those who know them judge them to be sincere in their desire. They have heard the word of Christ in the assembly of the Church and have attempted to shape their conduct accordingly.
Who is the candidate in confirmation?
Most Reverend Bishop (name), the parish of (name) presents these candidates for the sacrament of confirmation. Those who know them judge them to be sincere in their desire. They have heard the word of Christ in the assembly of the Church and have attempted to shape their conduct accordingly.
What is a Rcia candidate?
1. What is RCIA? The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens.
How does a candidate prepare for confirmation?
How does a candidate prepare for confirmation? They prepare by praying and reflecting on the life of Jesus Christ the mission of the church and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They discover what it means to be anointed with chrism and see how this anointing will change their lives.
What is a person preparing for confirmation called?
These candidates for Confirmation, or confirmands, as they are called, were usually baptized as infants and must now accept the Catholic faith as their own and make a commitment to live it out with God's help. Most confirmands participate in one or two years of preparation classes before receiving the sacrament.
Why are catechumenates dismissed from the Eucharist?
After the Liturgy of the Word, for example, the catechumenates are dismissed from the congregation to reflect on the scriptures more fully while the remainder of the congregation celebrates the Liturgy of the Eucharist. While the candidates may find the reflection over the scriptures fulfilling, to dismiss them from the Eucharistic celebration (even though they cannot yet received the Blessed Sacrament) is to equate them with the unbaptized and thus deny the dignity of their own baptism. The Rite of Dismissal is intended for those in the catechumenate who are required to attend Mass but cannot participate in the Eucharistic celebration.
How did the Catholic Church revive the catechumenate?
The Church revived the catechumenate through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults , or RCIA. RCIA has been documented to retain up to 64% of converts with 50% of those who completed RCIA active in parish ministries and committees 4. These fantastic statistics caused the U.S. bishops to proclaim that RCIA “has the power to transform parishes when implemented as the rite is intended.” Despite the early success of the program, the number of adult baptisms dropped 49% between the year 2000 and 2014 4. Nick Wagner notes many parishes have not implemented a full RCIA process, with a recent report citing 80% of parishes utilizing “some form” of RCIA 5. Rather than seeking out and evangelizing the unbaptized, many parishes (according to Wagner) have engaged in a “member transfer process” in which the RCIA is utilized as a means to bridge the gap between various Protestant faith traditions and the Catholic Church. While this is certainly a noble undertaking, it often becomes a watered-down process that fails to proclaim the mystery of Christ and enter the way of faith conversion as the RCIA rite commands. This is further exacerbated by the shortened RCIA in many parishes, with only 34% of parishes actually requiring a full year of preparation in RCIA for catechumenates. 6
Can children be catechized?
The process for catechizing these children, however, cannot be the same as adults. The Rite notes that their initiation requires a conversion that is proportional to their age with necessary educational assistance. Parishes must be careful, then, to tailor the RCIA process to these children. This ideally will be done with other children who are on the same faith journey. Children who are candidates and are of the same age as those preparing to receive their first communion can join the parish religious education program if appropriate, but children who have passed the typical age for this sacramental preparation should not be integrated into the standard religious education program.
What are the catechumens?
The Catechumens are those who were never baptized. They have made the decision to embrace the Catholic faith, and they are prepared to receive the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist – most fittingly administered on Holy Saturday Night at the Church’s Easter Vigil.
Do Catholic candidates have sponsors?
Candidates likewise have a Sponsor – who, like the Godparents, must be a mature and faithfully practicing Catholic. They assist their Candidate in the time of preparation, stand with them when they are Sacramentally Confirmed, and remain available to them as a good example. They should continue to pray for the new Catholic that they have “sponsored.”
What is the catechumenate?
catechumenate: the period of time and the structure within which the catechumens prepare for initiation; “catechumenate” is also used as a synonym for the entire Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. convert: another term for a catechumen; “convert” should never be used to refer to a baptized person who is preparing to become a Catholic;
What is the ritual act of tracing the sign of the cross on the catechumen’s forehead and other?
signing of the senses: ritual act of tracing the sign of the cross on the catechumen’s forehead and other parts of the body during the Rite of Acceptance
What does the Greek word "cantor" mean?
cantor: one who leads the assembly in song. catechesis: Greek, meaning “sounding down” or “re-echoing down to another”; a way of communicating faith. catechumen: Greek, meaning “one in whom word echoes”; one who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance; an unbaptized person who is preparing for full initiation at the Easter Vigil. ...
What is the liturgy of the Eucharist?
Liturgy of the Eucharist: the prayers and songs around the altar, and the sharing of consecrated bread and wine during the Mass
What does "convert" mean in Catholic terms?
convert: another term for a catechumen; “convert” should never be used to refer to a baptized person who is preparing to become a Catholic;
When is the Rite of Election?
Rite of Election: a liturgical rite that takes place at the beginning of Lent which formally names those who will be baptized at the next Easter Vigil
What is the official liturgical book from which the reader (lector) proclaims the Scripture readings used in?
lectionary: the official, liturgical book from which the reader (lector) proclaims the Scripture readings used in the Liturgy of the Word. liturgy: a set structure of prayers, readings, songs, and symbolic actions that is celebrated by a group of people together.
Who is the majority of the catechumenate?
For most of us, the majority of the people in our catechumenate processes are either Protestants who want to become Catholic or Catholics who missed confirmation or first Communion as a child.
What is the catechumenate process?
The catechumenate is a conversion process for those who have never known Jesus and do not know what it means to live as a Christian. The name of the rite itself tells us this. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a process of initiation. Initiation, of course, comes from the word initial. The RCIA is a conversion process ...
What does it mean to drop out of Christian living after first communion?
Someone who dropped out of Christian living after celebrating first Communion is not prepared to live an adult life of faith. Somebody has to prepare them, and that “somebody” is going to be us. What we have to realize, however, is that even though we are the “RCIA team,” most of the Christians we are forming are not “in the RCIA.”.
Do baptized people belong to the catechumenate?
But what about baptized people who are not living a Christian life? Before we can discern the best path for them, we have to ask, have they ever lived as a Christian—even as a child? If they have, they probably do not belong in the catechumenate.
Do Catholics belong to the catechumenate?
If they missed a sacrament but are nevertheless living and practicing as a Catholic, they do not belong in the catechumenate.
Do Christians celebrate catechumenate?
These are not bad things to do. Personally, I love doing these things. But the thing we cannot do is treat Christians as catechumens. Christians (with few exceptions) would not participate in a period of evangelization. They would not normally celebrate a Rite of Welcome nor participate in a catechumenate period. They would certainly participate in the lenten period, but they would do so as members of the Body of Christ—just like the rest of us. We would strongly encourage them to participate in the Easter Triduum, but they would not celebrate their sacraments or be received into full communion at the Vigil. They would participate as members of the faithful. Their formation would be mystagogical in the sense that the ongoing formation for all of the faithful is post-baptismal. But we would not identify the 50 days of Easter for them in the same way we do for the neophytes.
What are the catechumens called?
Now the catechumens are called "the elect' or "the illuminandi" ("those who will be enlightened"). They now begin a Period of Purification and Enlightenment — the final, intense preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation.
Why did the catechumenate fall into disuse?
After the legalization of Christianity in 313, the catechumenate began to fall into disuse for various reasons: The fear of persecution was greatly lessened. Baptism of infants became the norm with adult baptism waning.
How long did the catechumenate last?
The catechumenate involved several stages, each with a catechetical, ascetically and liturgical facet, and usually lasted three years. During this time, they could attend Mass through the Liturgy of the Word, but could not participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. AT the end of this period, the catechumens were examined, not so much for the knowledge, but to determine whether they lived the faith devoutly and had a since conviction of faith. If the examination was favorable, the catechumen became a candidate for baptism, receive further instruction, and was baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.
What is the period of post baptismal catechesis called?
This period concludes with the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. After the Easter Vigil, the newly baptized and confirmed members of the Church (technically called neophytes) enter the Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy.
What is the rite of election?
The Rite of Election closes the Period of the Catechumenate. This rite normally coincides with the first Sunday of Lent. At this rite, upon the testimony of sponsors and catechists and the catechumens' affirmation of their intention to join the Church, the Church makes its "election" of these catechumens to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. In the presence of the bishop (or his delegate), they inscribe their names in the Book of the Elect at the cathedral as a pledge of fidelity. Now the catechumens are called "the elect' or "the illuminandi" ("those who will be enlightened"). They now begin a Period of Purification and Enlightenment — the final, intense preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. On the next five Sundays of Lent, three scrutinies (rites for self-searching and repentance) and the presentations of the Creed and Lord's Prayer take place. This period concludes with the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
Why did the Church want a very formal, careful period of instruction?
Remember that during this time, the Church was under persecution by the Roman Empire and was confronted with various heresies; therefore, the Church wanted a very formal, careful period of instruction to prevent the infiltration of both persecutors and heretics.
Do catechumens receive exorcisms?
The sponsors and parish community assist the catechumens by their example and support. At Sunday Mass, the catechumens receive special exorcisms, blessings and anointings following the homily; however, after the Liturgy of the Word, they leave the Church.