November 5, 2014 DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE OFFICE OF CATECHESIS Pro Day for Catechetical Leaders Thursday, November 13, 2014 Bishop Adolph Marx Conference Center, San Juan Agenda 8:30-9:00 Registration 9:00-9:15 Welcome, Lauds 9:15-9:30 Overview of the Day 9:30-10:00 Overview of RCIA Process 10:00-10:30 Rite of Acceptance 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:15 Rite of Sending with Signing the Book of the Elect 11:15-11:45 Special Cases Unbaptized (Catechumen) Baptized (Candidate) Baptized Non-Catholic (Candidate) 11:45-12:45 Lunch 12:45-1:30 More on Special Cases Unbaptized (Catechumen) Baptized (Candidate) Baptized Non-Catholic (Candidate) 1:30-1:45 Break 1:45-2:00 Logistics Updated Background Check Policy Updated Echoes of Faith Procedures Survey on Computer & Technology 2:00 Door Prizes, Closing Prayer, Dismissal
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November 5, 2014
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
Pro Day for Catechetical Leaders Thursday, November 13, 2014
Bishop Adolph Marx Conference Center, San Juan
Agenda
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:15 Welcome, Lauds
9:15-9:30 Overview of the Day
9:30-10:00 Overview of RCIA Process
10:00-10:30 Rite of Acceptance
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:15 Rite of Sending with Signing the Book of the Elect
11:15-11:45 Special Cases
Unbaptized (Catechumen)
Baptized (Candidate)
Baptized Non-Catholic (Candidate)
11:45-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:30 More on Special Cases
Unbaptized (Catechumen)
Baptized (Candidate)
Baptized Non-Catholic (Candidate)
1:30-1:45 Break
1:45-2:00 Logistics
Updated Background Check Policy
Updated Echoes of Faith Procedures
Survey on Computer & Technology
2:00 Door Prizes, Closing Prayer, Dismissal
Stage Purpose Features / Liturgies Stage analogous to Step to the next stage
Pre-Catechumenate
Inquirers, SympathizersRight intention → Faith
*Conversations
*Prayers
*Blessings
*Exorcisms
*Initial meetings with
vocation director
*Initial meetings between
possible future spouses
Rite of Acceptance in the
Order of Catechumens
Catechumenate
Catechumens
Formal Relationship with Church
established
Faith → Conversion
Catechesis
*Church teachings
*Liturgy & Prayer
*Apostolic works
Liturgies
*Liturgies of Word
*Minor Exorcisms
*Blesssings
*Anointings
*Seminary
*Dating Period
Rite of Election and
Enrollment
Purification & Enlightenment
Elect
Competentes
Iluminandi
Faith → Purification &
enlightenment
Scrutinies
*III Lent - John 4
*IV Lent - John 9
*V Lent - John 11
Presentations
*Apostles Creed
*Lord's Prayer
*"Last year in seminary"
*Engagement - Pre-cana
meetings
Sacraments of Christian
Initiation
*Baptism
*Confirmation
*Eucharist
Mystagogy
Neophytes
Support → Faith
Faith → ActionMasses for the neophytes
*Support Group, continuing
education
The Stages and Steps of the RCIA
Taken from: Sacramental Theology: Means of Grace, Ways of Life , Published by Loyola Press, 2001. Apendix I, Table 3
2012-Oct-01
Etapas Propósito Acciones / Liturgias Etapa similar a Paso a la siguiente etapa
Precatecumenado
Información, simpatizantesRecta intención -fe
*Conversaciones
*Oraciones
*Bendiciones
*Exorcismos
*Reunión inicial con el
promotor vocacional
*Reunión inicial con los
futuros esposos
Rito de Aceptación al
orden de los Catecúmenos
Catecumenado
Catecúmenos
Establecimiento de relación formal
con la Iglesia
Fe -conversión
Catequesis
*Enseñanzas de la Iglesia
*Liturgia y oración
*Obras apostólicas
Liturgias
*Liturgias de la Palabra
*Exorcismos menores
*Bendiciones
*Unciones
*Seminario
*Noviazgo
Rito de Elección e
Inscripción
Purificación e Iluminación
Elegidos
Competentes
Iluminados
Fe -purificación e
iluminación
Escrutinios
*III Cuaresma - Juan 4
*IV Cuaresma - Juan 9
*V Cuaresma - Juan 11
Presentaciones
*Credo (Símbolo de los
Apóstoles)
*Padrenuestro
*"Ultimo ano en el
seminario"
*Compromiso - Preparación
pre-matrimonial
Sacramentos de Iniciación
Cristiana
*Bautismo
*Confirmación
*Eucaristía
Mistagógica
Neófitos
Apoyo -fe
Fe -acciónMisas por los neófitos
*Grupo de apoyo, educación
continua
Las etapas y pasos del RICA
Tomado de: Teología sacramental: fuentes de gracia, caminos de vid , Publicado por Loyola Press, 2006. Apéndice I, Tabla 3
2012-Oct-01
Candidates (Baptized)
Rite of Welcome
Weekly Meetings
Rite of Continuing
Conversion
Weekly Meetings
Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation, Eucharist)
Fully Initiated
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
RCIA Process Flow Chart
20140120
Catechumens (Unbaptized)
Rite of Acceptance
Dismissals Weekly Meetings
Rite of Sending (parish)
Rite of Election (diocese)
Scrutinies Dismissals
Weekly Meetings
Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation,
Eucharist)
Candidatos (Bautizados)
Rito de Bienvenida
Reuniones semanales
Rito a la Conversión
Continua
Reuniones semanales
Sacramentos de Iniciación (Confirmación, Eucaristía)
Plenamente Iniciados
DIÓCESIS DE BROWNSVILLE
Diagrama para el Proceso de RICA
20140120
Catecúmenos (No-bautizados)
Rito de Aceptación
Despedidas Reuniones semanales
Rito de Envío (parroquia)
Rito de Elección (diócesis)
Escrutinios Despedidas
Reuniones semanales
Sacramentos de Iniciación (Bautismo, Confirmación,
Eucaristía)
Recommended Curricula for RCIA
Children
Ages 8-11
Children and Youth
Ages 12-17 Adults
1
Journey of Faith for Children
Liguori Publications
* Thematic Catechesis
Journey of Faith for Teens
Liguori Publications
* Thematic Catechesis
Foundations in Faith
RCL Benziger
* Liturgical Catechesis
2
RCIA Catechist’s Manual
Liturgical Training Publications
* Systematic Catechesis
RCIA Catechist’s Manual
Liturgical Training Publications
* Systematic Catechesis
RCIA Catechist’s Manual
Liturgical Training Publications
* Systematic Catechesis
3
Our Catholic Heritage
RCL Benziger
* Thematic Catechesis
Foundations in Faith
RCL Benziger
* Liturgical Catechesis
Journey of Faith for Adults
Liguori Publications
* Thematic Catechesis
4
Foundations in Faith
RCL Benziger
* Liturgical Catechesis
Opening the Scriptures Our Sunday Visitor
* Liturgical Catechesis
Symbolon
Lighthouse Catholic Media
* Thematic Catechesis
5
Opening the Scriptures Our Sunday Visitor
* Liturgical Catechesis
Symbolon
Lighthouse Catholic Media
* Thematic Catechesis
Faith, Life & Creed
Twenty-Third Publications
* Systematic Catechesis
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
Office of Catechesis
Updated: 20140708
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Supplemental Curricula for RCIA
Children
Ages 8-11
Children and Youth
Ages 12-17 Adults
1 Knowing Our Catholic Faith Loyola Press
Bridges to Faith Loyola Press
Called to Be Catholic Loyola Press
2 Our Catholic Faith
Sadlier Religion One Faith, One Lord
Sadlier Religion One Faith, One Lord
Sadlier Religion
3 Our Catholic Identity
RCL Benziger Our Catholic Identity
RCL Benziger Exploring Our Catholic Faith
RCL Benziger
4 Faith Fusion
Our Sunday Visitor Faith Fusion
Our Sunday Visitor Growing Faith Project
Our Sunday Visitor
5 Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith
Ascension Press Making Disciples, 2nd Edition
Our Sunday Visitor
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
Office of Catechesis
Updated: 20140708
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Diocese of Brownsville Catholic Pastoral Center
Office of the Bishop
MEMORANDUM
1910 University Boulevard ▪ Brownsville, Texas 78520; P. O. Box 2279, 78522-2279
Tel. (956) 542-2501 ▪ Fax (956) 542-6751
To: Pastors, Administrators and Parochial Vicars
From: Most Daniel E. Flores, STD
Re: Easter Sacrament
Date: February 19, 2013
As we prepare to lead our people through the mysteries of Holy Week, please
know of my prayers for you and the faithful in your care.
Also, please be reminded that the norms of ecclesiastical and liturgical law
should be observed carefully, particularly during this time.
With regard to children of catechetical age who are to be baptized at the
Easter Vigil, the norm is that they are also to be confirmed and receive First
Holy Communion also at the Easter Vigil. Any exceptional circumstances
should be consulted with the Bishop’s Office.
Secondly, couples in irregular marriage situations may receive the sacraments
only after their marital situation is fully brought into conformity with the
norms of the church discipline. If you have any questions about particular
cases, please contact the Diocesan Tribunal.
Thirdly, the administration of the sacrament of Confirmation to those who are
already baptized, including adults associated as candidates through the RCIA
process, are ordinarily confirmed by the bishop. An exception to such a norm
requires a specific letter requesting delegation from the bishop.
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
Office of Catechesis
Rev 20140307
Confirmation and RCIA
1. When is confirmation to be administered as part of the RCIA?
In accord with the ancient practice followed in the Roman liturgy, adults are to be confirmed
immediately after being baptized (RCIA 215; Can. 866; RCIA Statutes 35). This also applies to
children of catechetical age (RCIA Statutes 18-19). (See # 2 below)
When candidates are received into the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church they are to
be confirmed at the time of their profession of faith and reception. Their confirmation is not to be
deferred (Statute 35 and Can. 885.1).
2. Who has the responsibility to confirm?
Any priest who baptizes someone who is of catechetical age or older, or receives someone into
the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church, by law has the responsibility and faculty to
confirm that person (Can. 883 and 885).
Priests who do not exercise a pastoral office but participate in a catechumenate do require a
mandate from the diocesan bishop if they are to baptize; but they do not then require any
additional mandate or authorization in order to confirm. They have the faculty to confirm from
the law, as do priests who baptize in the exercise of their pastoral office (Statute 12).
3. May a priest confirm a baptized but uncatechized Catholic?
A priest who wishes to confirm a baptized but uncatechized Catholic must explicitly request this
faculty from the diocesan bishop (Can. 884.1).
4. Is the Easter Vigil an appropriate time to request permission to confirm active Catholics
who have already been fully participating in the Eucharist?
No. Active Catholics should be confirmed by the bishop when he celebrates the Rite of
Confirmation at the parish.
Baptism is at the center of the Easter Vigil. The celebration should focus primarily on those who
are being baptized.
5. If candidates being received into full communion have already been confirmed in the
Church of their baptism, do they still need to be confirmed?
The Roman Catholic Church accepts only the Confirmation of the Orthodox Church and the Old
Catholic Church. All others need to be confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church. If there is
doubt, pastoral ministers should consult with the Chancery.
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
Office of Catechesis
Rev 20140307
Confirmación y RICA
1. ¿Cuándo es la confirmación para ser administrado como parte de la RICA?
De acuerdo con la práctica antigua utilizada en la liturgia romana, los adultos deben ser
confirmadas inmediatamente después de ser bautizado (RCIA 215, Can. 866, Estatutos de RICA
35). Esto también se aplica a los niños en edad catequética (Estatutos 18-19). (Vea # 2 abajo)
Cuando los candidatos son recibidos en la plena comunión de la Iglesia Católica Romana que se
deben confirmar en el momento de su profesión de fe y la recepción. Su confirmación no se tiene
que diferir (Estatuto 35 y Can. 885.1).
2. ¿Quién tiene la responsabilidad de confirmar?
Cualquier sacerdote que bautiza a alguien que está en edad de catequesis o más, o recibe una
persona en la plena comunión de la Iglesia Católica Romana, por ley tiene la responsabilidad y
facultad de confirmar la persona (Can. 883 y 885).
Los sacerdotes que no ejercen una función pastoral, pero participan en un catecumenado no se
requiere un mandato del obispo diocesano para que puedan bautizar, pero no lo hacen entonces
requieren ningún mandato adicional o autorización con el fin de confirmar. Tienen la facultad de
confirmar por la ley, como lo hacen los sacerdotes que bautizan en el ejercicio de su oficio
pastoral (Estatuto 12).
3. ¿Puede un sacerdote confirmar un católico bautizado, pero no catequizado?
Un sacerdote que desea confirmar un católico bautizado, pero no catequizado debe solicitar
expresamente esta facultad del obispo diocesano (Can. 884.1).
4. Es la Vigilia de Pascua un momento adecuado para solicitar permiso para confirmar los
católicos activos que ya han estado participando plenamente en la Eucaristía?
No. Católicos activos deben ser confirmados por el obispo cuando celebra el Rito de la
Confirmación en la parroquia.
El bautismo es en el centro de la Vigilia de Pascua. La celebración debe centrarse sobre todo en
los que se bautizan.
5. Si los candidatos son recibidos en la plena comunión que ya se han confirmado en la
Iglesia de su bautismo, ¿es necesario que sean confirmados?
La Iglesia Católica Romana acepta sólo la confirmación de la Iglesia Ortodoxa y la Iglesia
Católica Antigua. Todos los demás deben ser confirmados en la Iglesia Católica Romana. Si hay
dudas, los ministros pastorales deben consultar con la Cancillería.
North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101. All rights reserved. Website www.ltp.org
Prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and the United States Bishops’ Committee on the
Liturgy.
DESPEDIDA
116 Si inmediatamente se va a celebrar la Eucaristía, se despide a los catecúmenos en este
momento usando lo siguiente:
Mis queridos amigos, ustedes van a empezar el camino que los lleva a la gloria pascual. Cristo será su
camino, su verdad y su vida. En su nombre los envió de esta comunidad para celebrar con el obispo la
voluntad del Señor de que ustedes sean contados entre sus elegidos. Hasta que nos veamos de nuevo
para los escrutinios, vayan siempre en Su paz.
Catecúmenos:
Amén.
Si no se va a celebrar la Eucaristía, se despide a toda la asamblea con las siguientes palabras:
Vayan en paz, y que el Señor permanezca siempre con ustedes.
Todos:
Gracias a Dios.
[LITURGIA DE LA EUCARISTÍA]
Responding to God’s Call God works in many different ways. Most of the time, God works through ordinary people and events—a parent, a friend, a beautiful sun-set, a song, an inspiring story. Other times, we hear God’s call during crisis moments or major life-changes—a birth, an engagement, a sick-ness, a death. Sometimes, we just have a feel-ing that something is missing. No matter what a person’s reasons are for becoming Catholic, the Church’s hope and prayer is that when God calls them, they will respond. One part of the Catholic Church’s mission is to help people respond to God as best they can. For Christians, initiation and on-going participation in the life of the Church are the primary responses to God’s call. Through the process of becoming Catholic, we try to help people learn how to respond to that call not just for the moment of baptism but for every-day of their lives. The way we learn how to become Catholic is by actually doing what Catholics do. So the process of being initiated into the Church is not so much about learning things as in a classroom but learning a way of life as an apprentice learns a discipline from a master and that master’s community.
Being Accepted Becoming Catholic is a process. The Catholic Church has recently recovered and developed a process that some of the earliest Christians had used when people came to them asking to be baptized. The first part of this process is called “Evangelization and Precatechumenate.” In this initial phase, an unbaptized adult or child over seven is moved by some experience to inquire about the Catholic Church. Through some informal contact with a member of the Church, he or she begins to explore issues of faith, questions they’ve always had about the Church, or anything that has moved them to seek some kind of relationship with the Church. This part of the process can happen anytime for as long as needed.
When the inquiring person and the Church community believe that the person is starting to show some signs of a Christian faith and is
ready to commit to becoming Catholic, the person is invited to celebrate a ritual called a “Rite of Acceptance into the Order of the Cate-chumenate.” By celebrating this rite, the per-son is officially and publicly declaring his or her intention to enter into a formal relationship with the Church, learning its ways and partici-pating in its lifestyle. The Church, in turn, ac-cepts their commitment and pledges its support throughout the person’s journey of faith. This rite makes the person an official member of the Church as one who is preparing to be baptized. Therefore, the person is given an official title and role to play in the Church, that of “catechumen” which means “one in whom the Word of God echoes.” In prepara-tion for this rite, the Church also gives the in-quiring person a gift—one of its own baptized
(continued on next page)
Becoming Catholic
God showers his grace on the candidates, since the celebration manifests their desire publicly and marks their first consecration (RCIA 41).
Do you remember when you first heard God’s call? Was it through a person or a significant event? What were you being called to do? How did you feel about what you were being called to do? Who helped you take the next step?
TeamRCIA.com
“You have followed God’s light, and the way of the Gospel now lies open before you.”
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 52
Words to know catechesis: Greek, meaning “sounding down” or “re-echoing down to another”; a way of communicating faith
catechumen: Greek, mean-ing “one in whom word echoes”; one who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance
dismissal: a sending; cate-chumens are sent after hom-ily to reflect on God’s Word; the baptized are sent at Mass to “go, love and serve the Lord;” not meant to separate but to enable one’s mission
evangelization: first stage of RCIA, of unfixed duration, also called inquiry or pre-catechumenate; proclaiming faith in Christ; mission of the baptized
inquirer: name given to the unbaptized who are drawn to the Christian way of life
RCIA: stands for “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults;” process for becom-ing Christian
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
The Threshold The door or threshold of the Church is an important symbol in many Catholic rites. Doors symbolize transitions and new ways of life. For Christians, Christ, the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep, is the most important door, because “whoever enters through [Christ] will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:9). But doors are also liminal spaces, in-between places that are neither here nor there. Even though Christ has died and risen to save us from death, we still live in the in-between time until Christ comes again to wel-come all of creation through the doors of the kingdom of God. In the Rite of Acceptance, those wishing to answer God’s call are met at the threshold of the Church by the baptized and are ritually welcomed to enter into the Church’s doors. The Cross To enter into Christ also means entering into his dying and rising, for he said, “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). Those who answer God’s call will need to learn how to let go and die to their old ways of life, and this will often be painful and difficult. But the cross is also the sign of our salvation. So in the Rite of Acceptance, the Church consecrates—sets apart and makes holy—those who are committing themselves to fol-lowing Christ by signing their bodies with the cross.
Christian Initiation of Adults: Rite of Acceptance TeamRCIA.com
Joined to the Church, the catechumens are now part of the household of Christ, since the Church nourishes them with the word of God (RCIA 47).
members to be a sponsor or companion of the person through the next part of the process of becoming Catholic called the “Period of the Catechumenate.”
The Word and the Assembly In order to learn how to take up the cross of Christ each day of their lives, these catechumens will need to be nourished by the Word of God, for “one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In the Scriptures that they will hear every Sunday in the Mass, God speaks, and in the Gospels, Christ proclaims to all those assembled that God’s promises last forever. No matter what things the catechumens will encounter—suffering, pain, obsta-cles, doubt, fear, sin, death—God will never leave them. God’s love through Christ never fails. Where we encounter Christ and his love most clearly is in the assembly. When God’s people gather on Sunday to pro-claim the Scriptures, offer prayers for the world, and remember Christ in the sharing of a meal—the Eucharist—Christ is truly present. It will be through the assembly that the catechumens learn how to live as Christ. The assembly models for them how to die to selfishness, how to forgive others, how to preach the Good News, and how to live in hope through the Holy Spirit. The catechumens will depend on the Spirit of God found in the assembly to apprentice them into a life of discipleship. Because they are not yet baptized, the catechumens cannot yet participate in the prayers of the faithful. These prayers are the Creed, the General Intercessions, and the Eucharistic Prayer which climaxes in Communion. Therefore, after the homily, the catechumens, accompanied by a member of the baptized, are sent to feast on the Word of God, to reflect on how God is continuing to call them in this part of their faith journey, and to discern how they are to respond.
What important commitments have you made? How did you symbolize making that commitment? Who supported you in making it?
Receiving the Candidates Gathering song Sign of the Cross and greeting Procession outside the Church to greet the candidates Greeting the candidates Opening dialogue asking what they seek Candidates’ acceptance of the Gospel Affirmation by sponsors and assembly and acceptance of the candidates by the Church Signing of candidates with the cross Invitation to hear the Word of God Procession into the Church
Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens (italics show optional parts of the Rite)
Think of all the ways the cross touches you—in the sign of the cross, in crosses you wear. What does the cross mean to you?
What are your favorite Scripture passages? How have these words nourished you? How do you see these words lived out in the assembly? What do these words call you to do?
Liturgy of the Word Instruction of the catechumens to prepare them for the Word First reading Psalm response Second reading Gospel acclamation and Gospel reading Homily Presentation of a Bible Intercessions for the catechumens Prayer over the catechumens Dismissal of the catechumens
Liturgy of the Eucharist
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!MyRCIA: The Meaning of Adult Initiation in Post-Vatican II America"Paul Turner!
The search for God is the most intimate quest of our lives. Ultimately each person makes this pursuit alone, while naturally reaching out for support. To accompany another person on his or her search is a privileged journey. When we witness another person’s awakening in faith, it draws us closer together, it reaffirms our own belief, and it fills us with awe."
Christian initiation is one of the most exciting ministries in the Church. Marked by liturgical rites, supported by meaningful catechesis, initiation celebrates the discovery of a person’s relationship with God. Preparing for that day, sponsors, catechists, indeed the whole Christian community enter deep conversations with people asking the most important questions of life. This heady experience of intimate exploration is practically addictive; it accounts for our commitment to this ministry and adds to the joy of Easter."
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has spread this mutual experience of faith throughout Catholic parishes all over the world. In circumstances as broad as the Sunday eucharist and as private as conversations with a sponsor, the RCIA has opened doors of faith that have excited and energized Catholics. It is one of the greatest accomplishments of the post-Vatican II liturgical renewal, and its concept has been adopted and adapted by other Christian communities as well. The RCIA encapsulates the two great movements of the renewal, the return to the sources and the updating of the liturgy (resourcement and aggiornamento)."
I’ve been asked to give a theological response to “Pastoral Practice in Light of the National Statutes on the Catechumenate,” a report from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. First let me thank CARA for its fine work, as well as the USCCB and the FDLC for commissioning the research. On the whole, the results affirm what we already surmised. The number of responding parishes - 800 of them - shows the enthusiasm that people share for this pastoral work. As you’ll see, I think that some respondents misunderstood some questions because of the fluidity of some concepts such as mystagogy, the call to continuing conversion, and the very acronym RCIA. "
The survey included only one question I thought was seriously flawed: “Since Confirmation will immediately follow Baptism, does your parish eliminate the Anointing with the Oil of Catechumens at the Easter Vigil?” This is one of the greatest non sequiturs in the history of confirmation, and let me tell you that bar is set pretty high. The oil of catechumens has nothing to do with confirmation. Particular law in the United States forbids using the oil of catechumens in your parish either in the preparation rites of Holy Saturday or during the adult
Paul Turner: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, October 3, 2014
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baptisms of the Easter Vigil. (You find that in RCIA 33 §7. Also National Statutes 16. I hope our bishops will review that decision too.) That’s particular law, not parish law. By universal law, the confirmation of newly baptized adults at the Easter Vigil supersedes the postbaptismal anointing with chrism, not the prebaptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens. (I wish that decision could also be reviewed, but that belongs to the Vatican, not to the conferences of bishops.)"
Thankfully the rest of CARA’s survey is much better than that question. However, by design the entire survey is based only on the National Statutes, which passed in 1986, two years before the final English translation of the RCIA was published. The total picture is bigger than what a focus on the statutes will allow. Hence, in my remarks I will focus on the survey and the statutes, but I will occasionally refer to the rest of the RCIA and other supportive documents. "
As Ron Lewinski told me earlier this month, it’s hard to give a pastoral response without being theological, and it’s hard to give a theological response without being pastoral. So to focus my remarks, I propose six theological principles: Adaptation strengthens worship. Catechetical formation accompanies liturgical practice. Ministries are diversified. The sequence of the initiation rites reveals the paschal mystery. Uncatechized Catholic adults need appropriate pastoral care. Other Christian assemblies share a valid baptism with Roman Catholicism. This exploration will reveal that something beautiful has been happening in the lives of individuals, ministers, parish communities, and the church at large: God’s self-revelation leads to Christian faith."
Something else has happened: The implementation of the RCIA has not been uniform. There are many reasons for this. One is that even in Latin the editio typica permits various ways of implementing the rite. The 1988 English translation allows further adaptations. The book is so large and complex that many priests and parish ministers get lost in its pages. The acronym RCIA is so removed from theological language that people use it to mean a variety of things from apologetics to liturgy, from private instruction to faith sharing, from lectionary catechesis to conditional baptisms. Many people hailed the General Directory for Catechesis when it quoted the 1977 Synod of Bishops: “The model for all catechesis is the baptismal catechumenate” (59), but this may have further obscured its meaning. After all, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was not supposed to add anything new to teaching, said “By its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate” (1231). Excuse me, but post-baptismal is exactly what a catechumenate is not. Like computer files entitled MyDocuments, MyPhotos, and MyTickets, or web sites like myusccb.org, we’ve developed a culture of MyRCIA. Many parish leaders and publishers of educational materials make the acronym fit what they believe should be done, and what they are equipped to do. It isn’t all bad - after all, God is revealed in manifold ways, and the Church better respond in manifold ways. But we should also cling to theological principles that cement into place this cornerstone of the liturgical renewal."
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Adaptation strengthens worship. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy expressed the principle this way: “Within the limits set by the typical editions of the liturgical books, it shall be for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to specify adaptations, especially in the case of the administration of the sacraments, the sacramentals, processions, liturgical language, sacred music, and the arts, but according to the fundamental norms laid down in this Constitution” (39). In a classic Catholic “both/and” statement, the constitution favors the freedom of adaptations along with the restraint of authority."
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is an outstanding example of a liturgical text that made room for adaptation. The Rite of Marriage and the Order of Christian Funerals also had to account for a wide variety of customs in countries and cultures around the world. The RCIA says this: “Endorsed by the ancient practice of the Church, a catechumenate that would be suited to contemporary missionary activity in all regions was so widely requested that the Second Vatican Council decreed its restoration, revision, and adaptation to local traditions” (2). Dozens of times throughout the book you will find words such as “adapt”, “pastoral” and “insofar as possible.” This call for flexibility shows up even in Latin when the RCIA treats the reception of inquirers (39/2), the times for celebrating the various rites (8, 21, 26, 126, 146), the form of deliberation before the rite of election (122), the freedoms entrusted to episcopal conferences (32ff) and ministers (35), exceptional circumstances (II/2), danger of death (II/3), and the preparation of uncatechized Catholics (II/4), children of catechetical age (II/1), or validly baptized Christians (II/5, 477). The Vatican handed the RCIA to episcopal conferences like a batch of dough to be shaped and baked. This they did with tremendous success. The English translation for the United States increased this flexibility especially through the inclusion of newly-composed rites adapted for those previously baptized in other Christian congregations."
The North American Forum on the Catechumenate endorsed this spirit of adaptation. Founded by James Dunning and fortified by a relationship with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Forum helped countless dioceses implement the RCIA, enrich its catechesis, and enliven its liturgies. I served as a team member on Forum institutes, and I can still hear Jim Dunning thundering his foundational advice to participants: “Adapt, adapt, adapt.” The flagship institute, Beginnings and Beyond, adapted several of the rites for the prayerful engagement of its participants, and certain aspects of these rituals found their way into parish celebrations: the use of the processional cross and the book of the gospels in the rite of acceptance, and the litany of conversions that accompanied the scrutiny, for example. All this created a sense of freedom with the rites, which the Forum critiqued for sound theology. For example, one adaptation that the Forum abandoned formerly started the rite of acceptance. Inquirers stood outside the church door and knocked, hoping to gain admission. This practice supported the passive idea that the way Catholics get new Catholics is to sit in church and wait. Far more expressive is to bring the faithful outdoors to seek out and reassure those who are answering the call of God."
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Varieties of liturgical practice existed in the early church. For example, the anointing that we commonly associate with confirmation after baptism appeared before baptism in Syria (Ages of Initiation, Chapter Two:3). Eventually postbaptismal anointing with chrism became more uniform, but at the beginning the alternate sequences didn’t bother anyone. The diversity seemed to carry no more theological weight than the question, “Do you wash your hands with soap and water or with water and soap?” A variety of sound practices can coexist. "
Looking at the CARA report, if anything, one could argue that there is insufficient adaptation in the scheduling of certain liturgies. For example, 76% of responding parishes offer the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens only once a year, and 56% celebrate it during Advent. RCIA 18 §3 says “Two dates in the year, or three if necessary, are to be fixed as the usual times for carrying out this rite.” The Rite of Acceptance is to be done when catechumens begin their formation. There is absolutely no recommendation that it take place during Advent, but many parishes put it there presumably because the Rite of Election takes place during Lent. Not much theology there. All it accomplishes is purple symmetry. On the other hand, 95% of parishes offer the Rite of Acceptance during Sunday mass, and believe it or not, this is an adaptation. The RCIA permits it, but the Roman Missal has never heard of it; it provides no mass texts for the Rite of Acceptance, which it thinks is happening at a liturgy of the word. But the ceremony is so expressive to congregations, that it has found a welcome home at Sunday mass. Perhaps our statutes could affirm this practice. Adaptation strengthens worship."
Catechetical formation accompanies liturgical practice. This principle is interesting for what it does not say. The RCIA ascribes broad goals to catechetical formation, but it offers little specific content or methods. For example, the prerequisite for the Rite of Acceptance, it says, is that “the beginnings of the spiritual life and the fundamentals of Christian teaching have taken root in the candidates.” It looks for their “first faith,” “initial conversion and intention to change their lives and to enter into a relationship with God in Christ.” It also seeks “the first stirrings of repentance, a start to the practice of calling upon God in prayer, a sense of the Church, and some experience of the company and spirit of Christians…. The candidate should also be instructed about the celebration of the liturgical rite of acceptance” (42)."
Then later, “Before the rite of election is celebrated, the catechumens are expected to have undergone a conversion in mind and in action and to have developed a sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching as well as a spirit of faith and charity. With deliberate will and an enlightened faith they must have the intention to receive the sacrament of the Church, a resolve they will express publicly in the actual celebration of the rite” (120)."
As helpful as these descriptions are, they do not offer a lesson plan to catechists. And they shouldn’t. The RCIA is a liturgical book. The Rite of Marriage doesn’t describe marriage preparation sessions. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults doesn’t describe baptismal preparation sessions. Into this void many a publisher has stepped. The vast array of materials available addresses the many
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ways that people appropriate faith, as well as the many interpretations of the faith that writers and publishers think need to be appropriated. As with the liturgy, the catechetical effort has contributed to the culture of MyRCIA."
Some people responded to CARA’s survey saying, “We don’t have RCIA at our parish.” What on earth does that mean? It’s like saying, “We don’t have the Rite of Penance at our parish.” You do. If an adult is being baptized, then you do have RCIA - that’s the only place you find the rite to baptize an adult. You may not have the RCIA to the fullest extent possible, but you can’t not have it. People confuse the rite with a style of catechesis. If you ask people, “What is the RCIA?” they may answer something like, “It’s the classes you take to become a Catholic.” You’re asking a liturgical question. But you may get a catechetical answer: “It’s classes.” "
So strong is the interest in catechesis, that it has wrestled control of the RCIA timetable. Although the liturgical book envisions a celebration of the initiation rites at the Easter Vigil, it details no time of year for the start of preparation. In actual practice, however, formation normally begins in September, when the American mind has turned to school. According to CARA, 71% of parishes conduct their formation in “about nine months (i.e., September to Easter)” - even though that’s closer to seven months. And even though National Statutes 6 says, “The period of catechumenate, beginning at acceptance into the order of catechumens and including both the catechumenate proper and the period of purification and enlightenment after election or 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 in one year and extend until Easter of the following year.” In practice, most catechumens do not participate that long in formal catechetical sessions; however, many have absorbed catechesis from a variety of means before the formal start of their formation, especially through family, friends, worship and church-related activity. This may account for the low attrition rate among those who start their formation in the catechumenate; nearly all of them finish it. They’ve had some kind of formation before they begin their formation. When they bring this kind of experience, we do not demand a fourteen-month minimum. We silently - and in most cases I think rightly - adopt the position “Credits transfer.”"
From the early church, we don’t know too much about the content and method of catechetical formation. Egeria tells us that in fourth-century Jerusalem, for example, those to be baptized received intense formation during the eight weeks before Easter. They started the day with an exorcism (I prefer coffee myself), and then the bishop spoke for three hours each day on the scriptures, starting with the Book of Genesis. (Incidentally, our weekday lectionary assigns readings from the opening chapters of Genesis to Year One of Ordinary Time, weeks 5 and 6, which often fall about eight weeks before Easter. Egeria’s shadow still lingers.) After that, she writes, the catechumens received two more weeks of formation on the Creed. In time, this biblical and doctrinal formation waned. In thirteenth century Europe, for example, expectations for a child’s first
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communion preparation were quite minimal. The rudiments of catechesis consisted merely in learning the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Creed and the Sign of the Cross (Ages of Initiation Chapter Eight, 8)."
The North American Forum on the Catechumenate promoted liturgically informed catechesis. Karen Hinman Powell’s books Breaking Open the Word of God successfully added a metaphor to catechetical parlance. The Forum promoted lectionary-based catechesis, primarily because RCIA 75 §1 said that catechesis should be “accommodated to the liturgical year.” In truth, the liturgical year embraces elements in addition to the lectionary; for example, the calendar, presidential prayers, the Office of Readings, and seasonal devotions. But the popularity of the lectionary overtook catechumenal catechesis along with many other aspects of parish life from the selection of music at mass to bulletin artwork. In the past, Sundays were sometimes known by the first word of their entrance antiphon, such as Gaudete and Lætare; now they are better known by the lectionary. Lectionary-based catechesis is not the only way to interpret paragraph 75 §1, but it does provide an excellent way to present the teachings of the Church within the rich context of the paschal mystery; furthermore, it prepares catechumens to participate meaningfully in Sunday worship throughout the liturgical year for the rest of their lives."
“Mystagogy” like the acronym RCIA has received a variety of interpretations - for the same reason: its meaning is not patently clear. Yesterday when I entered the word on an electronic devise, the spell checker replaced “mystagogy” with “my staggering.” The North American Forum repositioned the word “mystagogy” to mean a spiritual and catechetical reflection on any liturgical rite. The history of the catechumenate and the RCIA itself use the term more narrowly: mystagogy is the formation that follows initiation, never one that precedes it. It has a shelf-life; there’s a point when mystagogy stops and lifelong faith-formation begins. Historically, the setting for mystagogy was always the homily at the eucharist, never a separate session. RCIA 247 says that the “main setting” for mystagogy “is the so-called Masses for neophytes, that is the Sunday Masses of the Easter season.” All the RCIA’s references to mystagogy imply that the faithful are there as well. Logically, then, mystagogy is nothing more than homilies about the sacraments preached at parish masses during Easter Time.
However, the National Statutes seem to misunderstand this nuance when they make statements such as this: “After the immediate mystagogy or postbaptismal catechesis during the Easter season, the program for the neophytes should extend until the anniversary of Christian initiation, with at least monthly assemblies of the neophytes for their deeper Christian formation and incorporation into the full life of the Christian community” (24). The questions in CARA’s survey about the statutes assume that the word “mystagogy” means special sessions for the newly baptized. If you read these results with the RCIA’s view that mystagogy is the Sunday homily, it makes no sense that the number of parishes that offer mystagogy weekly stands at 39%, or that 66% of parishes do not have masses for neophytes and their sponsors. If their parish has any masses on the Sundays after Easter, they have masses for neophytes and
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sponsors. It is hard to evaluate mystagogy with such a discrepancy over what it is."
The content and methods of all phases of initiatory catechesis are quite varied, but the purpose of this catechesis is clear. Or is it? The purpose is stated at the beginning of “Christian Initiation, General Introduction,” the prologue that governs both the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Rite of Baptism for Children. It opens with a nod to Vatican II’s Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, Ad gentes: “In the sacraments of Christian initiation we are freed from the power of darkness and joined to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. We receive the Spirit of filial adoption and are part of the entire people of God in the celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection.”"
However, none of us is surprised to read in CARA’s report that the top reasons that are “very” or “somewhat” common for entering the catechumenate are the desire to be Catholic (97%) or one’s marriage to a Catholic (92%). 88% say they desire to unite their family in one faith. Other reasons are submitted, but virtually no one says their reason for entering the catechumenate is they’d like to be freed from the power of darkness and joined to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, and we’d probably worry about them if they did. People enter the catechumenate because they have been impressed with Catholics or because they would like to unify their family’s faith. Often these initial reasons then lead more deeply to an intimate discovery of God. That prepares the way for fitting liturgical rites. Catechetical formation accompanies liturgical practice."
Ministries are diversified. CARA reports that half the parishes with an RCIA team have one paid staff and two volunteers. It also reports great diversity in presiding for the rites - bishop, priest, deacon and lay leaders all take a role. One in five parishes say that the pastor has the main responsibility, which is a pretty good ratio. It means that the leadership is broadly shared throughout the country."
Once in a while the report raises more questions than it answers. For example, when asked, “Does the Pastor (or other Priest) celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with those newly received?” 96% say yes. Well, canon law obliges the priest to confirm those whom he receives, so why is that not 100%? There are people who think that those confirmed as Episcopalians or Lutherans, for example, do not need a Catholic confirmation; but they do. The Catholic sacrament of confirmation has to be administered by a Catholic bishop or priest. The only exceptions are people received from Eastern Orthodoxy; our Church recognizes the validity of their chrismation / confirmation. Similarly, when asked if unbaptized children of catechetical age receive all three sacraments in the same mass, 47% say yes. Again, canon law obliges the priest to confirm these children. Why are we tolerating 53% noncompliance? The diversification of ministries permits some laity to participate in ways that only clergy did in the past, and it permits and even obliges priests to participate in some ways that only bishops did in the past. We have made some progress, to be sure, but more can be done. Ministries are diversified."
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The sequence of the initiation rites reveals the paschal mystery. Perhaps the best expression of this principle is in RCIA 215: “In accord with the ancient practice followed in the Roman liturgy, adults are not to be baptized without receiving confirmation immediately afterward, unless some serious reason stands in the way. The conjunction of the two celebrations signifies the unity of the paschal mystery, the close link between the mission of the Son and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the connection between the two sacraments through which the Son and the Holy Spirit come with the Father to those who are baptized.” Baptism has a meaning; confirmation has a meaning; and the joint celebration of these sacraments also has a meaning. CARA reports that 99% of responding parishes answer yes to this question: “Do the Elect receive all three Sacraments of Initiation at the same Mass?” But we know that figure is greatly exaggerated when we consider children of catechetical age."
You may think that the celebration of the three initiation sacraments together would force a rethinking of the meaning and age of confirmation for those baptized Catholic as infants. However, the reverse has happened. The rising age of confirmation has forced a rethinking of celebrating the three initiation sacraments together for children of catechetical age. This has called into question the integrity of the sacraments that are meant to exemplify the unity of the paschal mystery."
When the RCIA was being fashioned in the late 1960s, the group working on the adaptation for children did not foresee that the age of confirmation would rise. Instead, they envisioned that unbaptized children of catechetical age would be preparing for confirmation and first communion at the same time that their Catholic peers were - around catechetical age. Paragraph 254 §1:“Since the children to be initiated often belong to a group of children of the same age who are already baptized and are preparing for confirmation and eucharist, their initiation progresses gradually and within the supportive setting of this group of companions.” Paragraph 293: “Along with the children, their godparents and their baptized companions from the catechetical group participate in the celebration of these penitential rites [(scrutinies)]…. In particular, these penitential rites are a proper occasion for baptized children of the catechetical group to celebrate the sacrament of penance for the first time.” Paragraph 256: “The [children in the catechumenate] should, if possible, come to the sacraments of initiation at the time that their baptized companions are to receive confirmation or eucharist.” Paragraph 308: “Baptized children of the catechetical group may be completing their Christian initiation in the sacraments of confirmation and the eucharist at this same celebration. When the bishop himself will not be the celebrant, he should grant the faculty to confirm such children to the priest who will be the celebrant.” Paragraph 329: “The celebrant should also pay special attention to any previously baptized children of the catechetical group who at this celebration are to receive communion for the first time.”"
The framers of the post-Vatican II RCIA thought that the age of confirmation for those baptized as infants would remain young, but instead those baptized at catechetical age are not being confirmed. National Statutes 19 says, “Some
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elements of the ordinary catechetical instruction of baptized children before their reception of the sacraments of confirmation and eucharist may be appropriately shared with catechumens of catechetical age. Their condition and status as catechumens, however, should not be compromised or confused, nor should they receive the sacraments of initiation in any sequence other than that determined in the ritual of Christian initiation.” The sequence of the initiation rites reveals the paschal mystery."
Uncatechized Catholic adults need appropriate pastoral care. Prior to the post-Vatican II RCIA, no liturgical document had addressed this group of Catholics baptized as infants, who then received no further formation and no celebration of the sacraments of confirmation and first communion. The RCIA should be applauded for taking up this huge pastoral problem for the first time. Basically, the editio typica envisions that these Catholics will experience formation similar to what catechumens receive, adapted to their condition. It also recommends that they receive the sacraments of confirmation and communion at the Easter Vigil (409). The National Statutes 26 says that this “is not generally recommended.” I like the spirit of that statute, but it does have our bishops stick their neck out beyond what the typical edition says."
There is a more substantial problem. The English translation in the US gathered up those baptized in other Christian communities and placed them within paragraph 400, which in Latin deals exclusively with uncatechized adult Catholics. Paragraph 409 then appears to want the Rite of Reception for members of other Christian communities at the Easter Vigil, but the editio typica never makes that recommendation. It associates the Easter Vigil only with the unbaptized and with uncatechized Catholics, not with other validly baptized Christians. The recommendation for uncatechized Catholics is identical to the one in the adaptation for children: perhaps the Catholics in the catechetical group preparing for confirmation and first communion could receive those sacraments at the same time as their peers, namely, at the Easter Vigil. In retrospect, one wonders if the Vatican’s committee that first made these recommendations would still do so today. The theology of baptism links quite naturally to the Easter mystery because of biblical passages such as the one we hear each year at the Vigil from Romans 6. But the celebration of other sacraments for those who are already baptized has a looser connection."
In CARA’s report, there are some curious findings. For example, when asked “Do you allow adult Catholics (baptized, but uncatechized candidates for Confirmation) to participate in the same formation process as catechumens and candidates?” 87% said no. I think CARA meant to ask about uncatechized adults not even receiving communion, but people read it to mean adult communicants who had never been confirmed. In hispanic parishes, for example, this can represent a sizable number of people, many of whom participate in a diocesan Call to Continuing Conversion. Still, when asked, “When do baptized, but uncatechized Catholic adults receive Confirmation and Eucharist?” 59% answered “At the Easter Vigil.”"
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Now, the law gives priests the faculty to confirm adults and children of catechetical age whom they baptize or receive into the full communion of the Catholic Church. But only the bishop can give the priest the faculty to confirm someone baptized a Catholic as an infant. I wonder what we would have learned had CARA asked the pastors of those 59% whether they had obtained permission from the bishop to confirm. It would also be interesting to know who is confirming the other 41%, when, and where. In any event, the desire to provide for this group is praiseworthy. Uncatechized Catholic adults need appropriate pastoral care."
Other Christian assemblies share a valid baptism with Roman Catholicism. At recent gatherings of Societas Liturgica and the North American Academy of Liturgy, plenum session presenters such as David Holeton, Paul Bradshaw, Ed Foley, and Maxwell Johnson have complained about the faltering ecumenical climate, focusing especially upon the revised English translation of the Order of Mass. Their tone has run the gamut from respectful bewilderment to outright excoriation. Although I do some work for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, I have joined the chorus of those who express disappointment that the revised translation of dialogues and congregational parts that various Christian bodies hold in common did not involve participation from those whom it would affect. It is easy to find vocal opposition to this example of ecumenical disintegration, but it is hard to find the same pointed comments leveled against parish RCIA teams for blurring the distinctions between validly baptized Christians and unbaptized catechumens. Yet from a theological perspective, this practice is potentially much more volatile and incomparably easier to fix."
Canon 869 §2 says, “Those baptized in a non-Catholic ecclesial community must not be baptized conditionally unless, after an examination of the matter and the form of the words used in the conferral of baptism and a consideration of the intention of the baptized adult and the minister of the baptism, a serious reason exists to doubt the validity of the baptism.” The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity 1993) after reviewing these points says, “the rite of conditional baptism is to be carried out in private and not in public” (99d). RCIA 393 echoes the same theme. National Statutes 37 says, “If conditional baptism then seems necessary, this must be celebrated privately rather than at a public liturgical assembly of the community and with only those limited rites which the diocesan bishop determines. The reception into full communion should take place later at the Sunday Eucharist of the community.”"
According to CARA’s research, 61% of responding parishes performed conditional baptisms last year, and nearly half of them, 29%, did it at the Easter Vigil, another 2% at Sunday mass - meaning over half of the large number of conditional baptisms being performed are done in public, telegraphing doubt on the fact or validity of baptisms already performed."
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, when a Protestant wanted to become a Catholic, the priest commonly performed a conditional baptism. The practice was
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offensive to other Christians, and the ecumenical movement strove to bring it to a stop. Apparently, this has failed. That’s not all."
Prior to the Council, instead of a conditional baptism, the priest could use a rite in force since the 13th century, which Durandus called “The Reconciliation of Apostates, Schismatics and Heretics.” It presumed that every Christian baptized outside the Catholic fold fell into one of those categories, had committed sin by being so baptized - even in infancy, and needed reconciliation."
The Rite of Reception of Baptized Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church was created as a simplified and ecumenically sensitive way of welcoming other Christians to the Catholic eucharistic table. It was created in the ecumenical fervor swelling at the same time as the liturgical renewal. It intended to affirm the baptisms of other Christians and to embrace them as brothers and sisters. While this rite was under development in 1967, Frederick R. McManus from the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy wrote a letter to Balthasar Fischer, whose commission was developing the RCIA. McManus challenged the idea of celebrating the reception of validly baptized Christians at the Easter Vigil. He wrote, “In the past this reception into communion has been treated as a ‘conversion’ with its own kind of catechumenate.” Any elements of the rite “that would cast doubt upon the baptism of other Christians which has been properly celebrated, or upon the religious life they have been leading prior to their reception into communion” must be avoided (cf. Turner, When Other Christians Become Catholic, p. 57). Fischer’s group eventually composed the rite of reception to be celebrated at an ordinary Sunday mass when one baptized Christian was ready to be received into the Catholic Church. That is what was published in the 1972 Latin editio typica of the RCIA."
As the English translation was underway, news that the American edition wanted to include a combined rite of baptism and reception at the Easter Vigil reached the Vatican’s Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity. Its members sent a letter to the Congregation for Divine Worship, saying, “The insertion of this rite into the Easter Vigil gives such importance to the event that it may cause surprise and even pain to our fellow Christians and give rise to new difficulties.” Citing examples from the careful revision of both the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Rite of Reception, the Congregation continued, “It follows then that there can be no change in our decision of 20 June 1986, which stated that the rite of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church could not be celebrated during the Easter Vigil” (Turner, p. 80)."
Yet because parishes were already combining the rites, the Congregation for Divine Worship went against the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and detailed how the combination could be done. The Vatican approved the combined rites on condition that when the RCIA was published in English, they be placed in an appendix (p. 81). This has made no difference. Parishes in the United States celebrate the combined rites with abandon. Ask CARA. Is the Rite of Welcoming baptized candidates combined with the Rite of Acceptance of unbaptized catechumens? 77% of responding parishes say yes. Do adult candidates for reception participate in the same formation process as catechumens? 77% say
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yes, all sessions. When does your parish celebrate the Rite of Reception? 76% answer “At the Easter Vigil.”"
National Statutes 30: “Those who have already been baptized in another Church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. Their doctrinal and spiritual preparation for reception into full Catholic communion should be determined according to the individual case, that is, it should depend on the extent to which the baptized person has led a Christian life within a community of faith and been appropriately catechized to deepen his or her inner adherence to the Church.”"
National Statutes 31: “Those baptized persons who have lived as Christians and need only instruction in the Catholic tradition and a degree of probation within the Catholic community should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate.”"
National Statutes 32: “The reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community.”"
National Statutes 33: “It is preferable that reception into full communion not take place at the Easter Vigil lest there be any confusion of such baptized Christians with the candidates for baptism, possible misunderstanding of or even reflection upon the sacrament of baptism celebrated in another Church or ecclesial community, or any perceived triumphalism in the liturgical welcome into the Catholic eucharistic community.”"
In an attempt at ecumenical sensitivity, National Statutes 2 says, “the term ‘convert’ should be reserved strictly for those converted from unbelief to Christian belief and never used of those baptized Christians who are received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.” The statute never told us what to call that group, so people were left with an incomplete directive. I don’t know what they should be called, but if you can think of something, the national statutes would be a great place to put that word. People in this group are still called “converts”, even by the very Christians who have become Catholic."
It is hard to interpret the responses to CARA’s questions about the First Sunday of Lent. 83% of responding parishes say that the bishop presides for the Rite of Election, and 37% say the bishop presides for the Call to Continuing Conversion. Perhaps they mean a non-combined Call to Continuing Conversion at the cathedral. However, it’s quite common to have the bishop preside for the combined rite over the unbaptized and baptized alike. However he does it, the practice has set up several expectations: That combined rites are a good idea. That even the bishop expects priests to receive other Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil instead of Sundays throughout the year. And that in order for those Christians to become Catholic, instead of having one simple ceremony on a typical Sunday in their local Catholic parish, they are expected to travel to the cathedral at the beginning of the Church’s penitential season, stand next to catechumens, and present themselves to the bishop, who will declare the unbaptized to be numbered among the elect,
Paul Turner: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, October 3, 2014
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and call validly baptized Christians to continual conversion. This adapted rite was a creation of the Church in the United States; it was part of our rightful attempt as a conference to produce MyRCIA, and the Vatican’s Congregation approved it. However, I think it would have horrified the ecumenically sensitive theologians who created the Rite of Reception in order to replace the Rite of Reconciling Apostates, Heretics and Schismatics, that Christians who were not to be called “converts” were still being called to conversion on the first Sunday of Lent by the local bishop from his cathedra."
I know that these adapted preliminary rites for baptized candidates have had a positive impact on many individuals. I know that many bishops, priests and directors of catechumenates would hate to see them lost in a revised translation of the RCIA. I’m confident that the people who worked on these rites in the 1980s including my dear friend Ron Lewinski did so with the right intentions to respond pastorally to a need of our local church when interest in initiation rites was abloom. But the time has come to examine these adapted rites again, especially in the light of the consummate disappointment of our partners in ecumenical dialogue. Could we please have another look at the original ecumenical vision of Vatican II? "
Even now, without any further pronouncement from Rome, pastors have full authority to receive a validly baptized Christian into the full communion of the Catholic Church this Sunday. What on earth are they waiting for? Other Christian assemblies share a valid baptism with Roman Catholicism. "
So these are some theological principles that come to mind: Adaptation strengthens worship. Catechetical formation accompanies liturgical practice. Ministries are diversified. The sequence of the initiation rites reveals the paschal mystery. Uncatechized Catholic adults need appropriate pastoral care. Other Christian assemblies share a valid baptism with Roman Catholicism. These have guided us. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has gained excited new members and the enlivened participation of old members. At the same time, given the proclivities of post-Vatican II America, we have been tempted to shape the RCIA into something we think better fits our own experience. Sometimes MyRCIA has succeeded; sometimes it has not."
The forthcoming revised English translation will give us another opportunity to review the theological principles upon which initiation is based, and to revise our national statutes. ICEL has begun the work of retranslating the editio typica into English. For those discouraged by the revised translation of the Roman Missal, the news about the RCIA sends shivers down their spine. The new translation rules will have ICEL translate the typical edition’s paragraphs in numerical order. The first translation considerably rearranged the book. ICEL will not include the adapted rites in its work because those were composed in English, and there is nothing in the typical edition to translate. As I understand the process, if the USCCB wants to have those rites again, they may request them from the Vatican again. Unknown is whether or not our bishops want to do this, and whether or not the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will approve such a request."
Paul Turner: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, October 3, 2014
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With regard to the National Statutes, I find them prolix. Sometimes they repeat arguments that have already been made in the main body of the work, where they stand with plenty of universal authority. Sometimes when you rephrase something, you create a question about its meaning. My hope is that the revised national statutes will be brief. Pastoral and theological richness would again be welcome, but I do love brevity, a quality which this talk lacks."
However the work continues, I pray that it progresses with joy and hope. While we discuss matters such as the correct translation of words, the ceremonies proper to a cathedral, and the particularly American circumstances requiring statutes, may we never lose touch with something beautiful happening in a human heart: the search for God. Each person affected by this work is someone God has created in love and in whom God yearns to be known. When we come to respect the divine initiative behind human initiation, we who have already received the gift of faith will bring honor and glory to God.
Paul Turner: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, October 3, 2014
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
GUIDELINES FOR CHILD SAFETY
IN PARISH CATECHETICAL PROGRAMS
PGC & Background Checks Policy Page 1 of 2 Revised: 20141101
PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN™ AND BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
Before a catechist or volunteer is to have contact with our children at the Religious
Education Program, they must attend Protecting God’s Children™ program. For
pastoral reasons, we recommend that you hold a session for catechists and another
for volunteers.
During the training, the catechist and/or volunteer must complete the following
forms with their full legal names:
1. Protecting God’s Children Sign-in Sheet (one per parish)
2. DPS CCH Verification Form
3. Application for Volunteers who will have Regular Contact with Minors
4. Background Check Authorization Form
5. Code of Ethics (catechist and non-catechist)
It is the responsibility of each facilitator to provide a Certificate of Attendance for
those who attend the program.
Each parish must have a policy that states who is responsible for the
documentation and where the records are to be kept of those who have gone
through Protecting God’s Children™ program and who has gone through the
Background Check process.
A copy of the sign-in sheet should be forwarded to Walter Lukaszek.
In order for the Office of Catechesis to process the background checks, we need
payment of $4.00 per person sent along with the originals of the signed and
completed DPS CCH Verification Form and the Background Check Authorization
Form. Please make sure that each catechist and/or volunteer includes their
complete date of birth and signature. Without either of these, we cannot complete
the Background Check. For this reason, we ask that you verify the information
with their driver’s license or with another form of identification before they are
submitted. Please provide a cover letter that lists the names so that we can know
for certain how many Background Checks are going to be completed and who is
submitting the paperwork.
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
GUIDELINES FOR CHILD SAFETY
IN PARISH CATECHETICAL PROGRAMS
PGC & Background Checks Policy Page 2 of 2 Revised: 20141101
Once the background checks are completed, the pastor will receive in the mail an
envelope with a cover letter and certificates for each person that is approved to
have regular contact with minors.
The following forms ought to be kept in folder for each catechist and/or volunteer
in a safe location in the event of a parish audit:
1. Application for Volunteers who will have Regular Contact with Minors
2. Code of Ethics
3. A Copy of the Certificate of Approval
All parishes must complete Background Checks every five (5) years.
Once a catechist and/or volunteer has completed Protecting God’s Children™
program, we recommend you have them complete Keeping the Promise Alive
refresher on an annual basis. This is also a good time for them to complete the
annual Code of Ethics.
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
GUÍAS PARA LA SEGURIDAD DEL LOS NIÑOS
EN LOS PROGRAMAS CATEQUÉTICOS PARROQUIALES
PGC & Background Checks Policy sp Página 1 de 2 Revised: 20141101
PROTEGIENDO LOS NIÑOS DE DIOS™
Y LA PÓLIZA PARA LA REVISIÓN DE ANTECEDENTES
Antes de que un catequista o voluntario tenga contacto con nuestros niños en el
Programa de Educación Religiosa, tendrán que asistir al programa de Protegiendo
los Niños de Dios ™. Por razones pastorales, les recomendamos que tengan por lo
menos dos sesiones: uno para los catequistas y otro para los voluntarios.
Durante el taller o sesión, cada catequista y/o voluntario debe completar las
siguientes formas con su nombre legal:
1. Hoja de Inscripción (Sign-in Sheet) de Protegiendo los Niños de Dios ™
(una por parroquia)
2. DPS CCH Verification Form (solamente disponible en inglés)
3. Solicitud para Voluntarios que Tendrán Contacto Regular con Menores
4. Forma de Autorización de Revisión de Antecedentes
5. Código de Ética (catequista o voluntario)
Es la responsabilidad de cada facilitador proveer un Certificado de Asistencia para
los que asisten a la sesión del programa.
Cada parroquia debe tener su propia póliza que indica quien es el responsable para
toda documentación y donde se mantienen los archivos de las personas que hayan
asistido al programa de Protegiendo los Niños de Dios™ y los que han pasado por
el proceso de la Revisión de Antecedentes.
Una copia de la Hoja de Inscripción se debe mandar a Walter Lukaszek.
Para que la Oficina de Catequesis pueda procesar la revisión de antecedes,
necesitamos la cuota de $4.00 por persona junto con los originales completados y
firmados del DPS CCH Verification Form y la Forma de Autorización de Revisión
de Antecedentes. Favor de asegurarse que cada persona haya completado la forma
con su fecha de nacimiento y su firma. Sin alguna de las dos cosas, no podremos
hacer la Revisión de Antecedentes. Pero eso, les pedimos que verifiquen la
información con la licencia de conducir u otro tipo de identificación. También les
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
GUÍAS PARA LA SEGURIDAD DEL LOS NIÑOS
EN LOS PROGRAMAS CATEQUÉTICOS PARROQUIALES
PGC & Background Checks Policy sp Página 2 de 2 Revised: 20141101
pedimos que incluyan una carta con la lista de los nombres para asegurar cuantas
Revisiones de Antecedentes se van a completar y quien está pidiendo la revisión.
Ya que se hagan las revisiones de antecedentes, el párroco recibirá por correo
postal un sobre con una carta de parte de la oficina y los certificados de declaración
para cada persona que han sido aceptados para tener contacto regular con menores.
Las siguientes formas deben mantenerse en cada carpeta para cada catequista y/o
voluntario en un lugar seguro en cuando se presenta una auditoria:
1. Solicitud para Voluntarios que Tendrán Contacto Regular con Menores
2. Código de Ética
3. Una copia del Certificado de Declaración
Todas las parroquias deben hacer las Revisiones de Antecedentes cada cinco (5)
años.
Ya que cada catequista y/o voluntario asiste el programa de Protegiendo los Niños
de Dios™, les recomendamos que les pida asistir al programa de reforzamiento
Manteniendo Viva la Promesa cada año. Esto será un tiempo oportuno para que
renueven el Código de Ética.
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
1. Decide on the local level each of the following: ▪ Date ▪ Time ▪ Location ▪ Title of Module ▪ Facilitators
Parishes can jointly present the modules. Coordinate with local catechetical leaders and Pastors.
2. If advertising with flyers, indicate the following: ▪ Diocese of Brownsville ▪ Office of Catechesis ▪ Catechist Formation ▪ Echoes of Faith
▪ Name of Parish
3. Facilitators Tasks: ▪ Order booklets 2 weeks in advance. ▪ Follow Echoes process with Booklet and video segments. ▪ Prepare scheduling of time ▪ Preview video
(Available at Media Resource Center in San Juan) ▪ Looking Back Section: Select questions and manner of writing, sharing (in twos, threes, small group, total group)
It is highly recommended facilitators work in teams of two or three.
4. Register catechists on separate sheets according to Parish. 5. Plan at least 20-30 minutes at the end of the module to complete Assessment Tool.
Facilitators sign as “Program Director”. Assessment Tool is to be completed before Final Prayer.
6. Send copies of Sign-in sheets and Assessments Tools to Office of Catechesis.
► Make sure originals are submitted to the parish for their records. ► Make sure to have copies of the sign in sheets in your own records. ► Copies of the Assessment Sheets must be submitted to Office of
Catechesis for credit to be recognized. ► Certificates will be mailed to the Parish Catechetical Leader from the Office
of Catechesis.
Rev_20130611
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
1. Decidir a un nivel local cada uno de lo siguiente: * Fecha * Horario * Local * Titulo del modulo * Facilitador
Las parroquias pueden unirse para hacer la presentación de los módulos. Coordinar con los líderes Catequéticos y los Párrocos.
2. Si anuncia con folletos, indique lo siguiente: *Diócesis de Brownsville * Oficina de Catequesis * Formación de Catequistas * Ecos de Fe * Nombre de Parroquia
3. Tarea del Facilitador:
Ordenar libros 2 semanas antes con anticipo
Seguir el proceso de Ecos de Fe con el libro y los segmentos del video
Prepare el tiempo y horario
Revise el video antes (Disponibles el centro de Recursos de Comunicación en San Juan)
Se recomienda que los facilitadores trabajen en equipo de dos personas o tres.
4. Inscriba los catequistas en hojas separadas según su parroquia.
5. Prepárese por lo menos 20 – 30 minutos antes del final de la clase para que los Catequistas trabajen en el Instrumento de Valoración. Los facilitadores firman como “Director del programa”. El Instrumento de Valoración debe de ser terminado y entregado antes de la Oración Final.
6. Envié una copia de las Hojas de Inscripción junto con una copia de los
Instrumentos de Valoración a la Oficina de Catequesis: ► Asegurase que los originales están en la parroquia en los archivos. ► Haga sus propias copias de las hojas de inscripción para sus archivos. ► Los Instrumentos de Valoración deben de estar archivadas en la Oficina
de Catequesis para poder darle el reconocimiento. ► Los certificados serán enviados por correo al Líder Catequético de la
Parroquia desde la Oficina de Catequesis.
Rev_20130611
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
Office of Catechesis
Effective: November 6, 2014
FACILITATOR REQUIREMENTS
1. Facilitator is a person who demonstrates good teaching skills:
a. Planning and organization skills
b. Communication skills:
Sets up effective interaction among participants
c. Uses a variety of methods and techniques
2. Has completed all catechetical, methodological and theological modules
of Echoes of Faith as a participant.
3. Has completed a Training for Echoes Facilitators and understands and will
follow the process for the program. Every participant will be issued a
certificate valid for 3 years.
4. Is familiar with group dynamics and is able to employ various types of
groupings for the discussion component of the Echoes process.
5. Gives clear and simple directions.
6. Will keep to time schedule.
7. Will renew Facilitator Certificate every 3 years.
DIOCESIS DE BROWNSVILLE
Oficina de Catequesis
Effective: November 6, 2014
REQUISITOS PARA FACILITADORES
1. El facilitador debe de ser una persona que demuestre buenas
habilidades de enseñar:
a. Organizar y planear
b. Comunicarse:
Prepara intercambios efectivos entre los participantes
c. Usa una variedad de métodos y técnicas.
2. Ha completado todos los módulos catequéticos, de metodología, y
teológicos de Ecos de Fe como participante.
3. Ha completado el taller para Facilitadores de Ecos de Fe, lo entendió
y seguirá las normas del proceso para el programa. Cada
participante recibirá un certificado de validez de 3 años.
4. Está familiarizado con dinámicas para grupos de personas y es
capaz de aplicar varias formas de discusión en grupos relevantes al
proceso de Ecos de Fe.
5. Instruye con direcciones simples y claras.
6. Se mantiene en su horario de presentación.
7. Renovara el Certificado para ser Facilitador cada 3 años.
November 6, 2014
DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
OFFICE OF CATECHESIS
IT Survey Parish:
City:
Name:
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