Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Annual Confession
ROME, MARCH 2, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Related to the question on annual confession (Feb. 16), a Canadian reader had asked about his personal situation. Baptized into a Protestant denomination as a child, he had not completed the RCIA yet. He wanted to know at what point he could go to confession -- "I mean officially, so it's recognized; so I can be absolved, do penance, etc. It's going to be some time yet before confirmation, etc., and I really need to go to confession, my heart is very heavy with 55 years of life without God, and I'm despairing that I've got months and months yet to live with my sins. I can't find anything specific on this in the Catechism."
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has an appendix with a rite for admitting an already baptized person into the Catholic faith. The norms attached to this rite require that the candidate receive an adequate doctrinal and spiritual preparation adapted to the reality of each case. The candidate should strive for an ever more sincere adherence to the Catholic faith in which he will find the fullness of his baptism.
The norms suggest that during this time the candidate may already have some share in sacred things according to the norms established in the Ecumenical Directory. This directory does not deal specifically with the case of those undergoing a conversion process, but allows for a Protestant who shares Catholic beliefs regarding the sacraments to receive the Eucharist, penance and sacrament of the sick in grave situations such as danger of death.
In the above-mentioned rite of admission, No. 9 of the appendix in the Italian edition states that if the person is to be admitted during Mass (as is by far the preferred practice), then considering his personal condition he should confess his sins, informing the confessor of his imminent admission. Any lawful confessor may be used.
Thus, we can deduce that it is possible for someone to be validly admitted to confession before formal admission into the Catholic faith. In the precise case above, our reader could request permission from the bishop to anticipate first confession so as to continue the process of preparation for admission and confirmation with greater peace of soul.
Related to the question on annual confession (Feb. 16), a Canadian reader had asked about his personal situation. Baptized into a Protestant denomination as a child, he had not completed the RCIA yet. He wanted to know at what point he could go to confession -- "I mean officially, so it's recognized; so I can be absolved, do penance, etc. It's going to be some time yet before confirmation, etc., and I really need to go to confession, my heart is very heavy with 55 years of life without God, and I'm despairing that I've got months and months yet to live with my sins. I can't find anything specific on this in the Catechism."
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has an appendix with a rite for admitting an already baptized person into the Catholic faith. The norms attached to this rite require that the candidate receive an adequate doctrinal and spiritual preparation adapted to the reality of each case. The candidate should strive for an ever more sincere adherence to the Catholic faith in which he will find the fullness of his baptism.
The norms suggest that during this time the candidate may already have some share in sacred things according to the norms established in the Ecumenical Directory. This directory does not deal specifically with the case of those undergoing a conversion process, but allows for a Protestant who shares Catholic beliefs regarding the sacraments to receive the Eucharist, penance and sacrament of the sick in grave situations such as danger of death.
In the above-mentioned rite of admission, No. 9 of the appendix in the Italian edition states that if the person is to be admitted during Mass (as is by far the preferred practice), then considering his personal condition he should confess his sins, informing the confessor of his imminent admission. Any lawful confessor may be used.
Thus, we can deduce that it is possible for someone to be validly admitted to confession before formal admission into the Catholic faith. In the precise case above, our reader could request permission from the bishop to anticipate first confession so as to continue the process of preparation for admission and confirmation with greater peace of soul.
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