Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
Sorting It All Out: Children and Adults in the Initiation Process
9. Validly baptized and catechized Orthodox person, of catechetical age and up
Sophia, aged 25, was fully initiated as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. She is catechized and attends the local Orthodox Church. She now wishes to become a member of the Catholic Church. After an appropriate time of inquiry on the part of Eugenia and the church, catechesis for her reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church begins.
Rite used: Rite of Reception into Full Communion of the Catholic Church, RCIA Part II: #491, 492.
Title: Candidate.
Definition: a person of catechetical age, validly baptized in the Orthodox Church, and catechized in that tradition.
Age: 7 and above
Process: Since Sophia is Eastern Orthodox, she will be received into the corresponding Eastern Catholic Church. After a suitable liturgical and doctrinal preparation, Sophia is only obligated to make a simple profession of faith in order to be received into the Catholic Church (RCIA #491, 492) as she was fully initiated at the time of Baptism (baptism, chrismation/confirmation, and Eucharist).
Time of Celebration: Any Sunday Eucharist throughout the year.
Minister: The parish priest is the presiding minister.
Faculty to Confirm: Sophia is not to be confirmed again since she was fully initiated at Baptism.
Record Keeping: Sophia's name is entered into the parish registers of Baptism (with notation of Reception into Full Communion with notation of non-Catholic baptism and minister), Confirmation and First Communion. It is also to be noted that she is received into whichever Eastern Catholic Church corresponds to the one of her Orthodox Baptism.
Notes:
- When a member of an Orthodox church becomes a Catholic, that person is received into the corresponding Eastern Catholic Church. For example, if a Romanian Orthodox person wants to become Catholic, he/she enters the Romanian Catholic Church; a Ukrainian Orthodox person enters the Ukrainian Catholic Church. For more complete information, please contact the Chancery.
- An individual might request a change in Rite, that is, to be received into the Roman Catholic Church rather than the corresponding Eastern church. This request also goes to the Chancery.
- The Orthodox view of divorce and annulment differs substantially from that of the Roman Catholic Church. It is important to keep this in mind when doing the preliminary interview. For more complete information, please contact the Chancery.
References: Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) Canon 897; RCIA #474
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