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Adult Initiation FAQs

Q: At the rehearsal for the Easter vigil, my pastor said my marriage would become a sacrament when I was baptized. I married my wife in the Catholic Church. I thought that our marriage was already a sacrament. A: There are two types of true and valid marriages: natural and sacramental. Natural marriages exist between two people who are not baptized or where one is baptized and one is unbaptized. Sacramental marriages exist between two people that are baptized. In the Order of Celebrating of Matrimony, there are three options: one for sacramental marriage between two Catholics, which is ordinarily celebrated within Mass; another for sacramental marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic, which is ordinarily celebrated outside of Mass; and a third for marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person, which is always celebrated outside of Mass. If one reads the rite for the third option, there is no reference to marriage being a sacrament. This is why the Catholic Church has a preference for Catholics to marry people who are baptized, so that the marriage will be a sacrament. It is required that a Catholic who marries an unbaptized person get a dispensation from “disparity of cult” in order to marry validly. You may remember your wife promising to remain Catholic and to raise children Catholic and signing a paper. This was the requirement to get the dispensation. Of course, a benefit of such marriages is sometimes the unbaptized person seeks baptism! Before Jesus, all marriages were natural marriages. Since Jesus, both natural and sacramental marriages exist. No marriage between the baptized can exist unless it is a sacrament (Code of Canon Law, canon 1055 §2). So if two people are married validly in a natural marriage, once both parties are baptized, the marriage is transformed into a sacrament. Baptism is a gift from God that transforms everything about a person, including one’s marriage.

Once you were baptized, since your wife is also baptized, your marriage was transformed into a sacrament! And your wife received the sacrament of marriage, even if she was just sitting in her pew watching your baptism. You both received the sacrament of marriage!

Q: I am a Catholic woman married civilly to a man who was never baptized. He was married before to a woman also who was never baptized. He wants to become Catholic, and we both want to get our marriage blessed in the Church. My pastor suggested that we do a Pauline privilege. What is that?

A: In 1^st Corinthians, St. Paul writes: "If any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is unwilling to go on living with him, he should not divorce her; and if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should not divorce her husband. For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. ... If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases" (7:12–14a, 15a).

This passage establishes the principle that the Church has come to call the Pauline privilege. In such a case, a natural marital bond between two unbaptized persons is dissolved by the fact that one of the parties receives baptism and enters a new marriage. It must be proven that both parties were unbaptized at the time of the marriage and that only one party has received baptism.

It also must be certain that the other party does not wish to receive baptism and wishes to depart from marital life (or wishes to remain departed if they are already divorced). The party who has been baptized may not be the cause of the separation after the baptism has taken place.

For the Pauline privilege to be used successfully, it is usually necessary to get the cooperation of the party that remains unbaptized, or at least of the unbaptized person’s relatives.

The Pauline privilege is distinct from a declaration of nullity. Pauline privilege is a privilege of the faith that dissolves a valid natural marriage, while a declaration of nullity states that a marriage was invalid from the beginning.

Q: One of our catechumens would like her 16-year-old son to be her godparent. He has received his sacraments including confirmation. As an active Catholic, would he be allowed to be his mother’s godparent?

A: This is an interesting question because of the unusual circumstances, and the answer is “yes.”

Godparents (aka sponsors) not only serve as witnesses at the ceremony of baptism and confirmation but also assist the person in leading a Christian life (canon 872). Therefore, Church law requires that godparents be people who are living the Catholic faith and meet the following qualifications (canon 874):

1. They should ordinarily be at least 16 years of age.
2. They must be Catholics who have received baptism, confirmation, and first Holy Communion.
3. They must lead a life in harmony with the Catholic faith (e.g., not living in an immoral situation). Fallen away Catholics may not serve as godparents.
4. If they are married, they must be married in the Catholic Church. They may not be divorced and remarried outside of the Catholic Church.
5. They cannot be bound by any canonical penalty imposed or declared, such as an excommunication.
6. Parents of the person to be baptized and confirmed may not serve as a godparent. But this does not exclude children from being godparents of their parents!

In our society it is increasingly difficult to find godparents who are qualified to serve. Only one godparent is required, although it is also permitted to have a godfather and godmother (canon 873). It is common for pastors or adult initiation leaders to assist their candidates in finding people who are qualified.

Q: My husband and my two children and I have for a long time practiced the Episcopalian faith, but we have made a family decision to become Catholic. When I talked with the secretary at the Catholic parish, she told us that we needed to go through a two-year OCIA program. (I don’t know what “OCIA” means.) She also said that if we can’t find our baptism certificates, we would need to be conditionally baptized, but if we can find our Episcopalian baptism and confirmation certificates, we wouldn’t need to repeat those sacraments. She also said that my husband and I would need to have our marriage convalidated in the Catholic Church first before we can start. This is the only marriage for us, so we are confused. Is all of this correct?

A: No, pretty much none of what you have been told is correct.

First, regarding your marriage, since neither of you are Catholic, the Catholic Church presumes that your present marriage is a valid marriage. The requirement of being married in the Catholic Church only applies to Catholics (if one or both of you were Catholic). So there is no need for you to validate your marriage.

Second, regarding a two-year regimen of classes, this sounds like overkill. If people come from a non-Christian background, that amount of catechetical preparation might be appropriate. There are differences between Catholics and Episcopalians, but what the two communities have in common is far greater. Your catechetical preparation should be tailored to your needs. “One size does not fit all.”

Third, regarding the possibility of conditional baptism, this should not take place. A lack of proof of baptism does not mean that there is a doubt about the fact of baptism. A conditional baptism should only be done if there is doubt about whether a valid baptism has taken place.

Fourth, regarding confirmation, even if you were confirmed Episcopalian, it is necessary for you to receive Catholic confirmation. The Catholic Church only recognizes valid confirmation as being conferred by Catholic and Orthodox churches and those who have validly ordained bishops. As a result, confirmation in Episcopalian and Protestant ecclesial communities is not recognized as valid.

Also, OCIA is an acronym for a ritual book of the Catholic Church — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The book contains all of the rites and directions for adults becoming Catholic.

Q: I noticed in my parish that we have four catechumens and that they are dismissed from four different Masses — one at each Mass. I asked about this, and the organizers said that they like the whole parish to see that there are catechumens, so they have one go to each Mass. Is this correct? 

A: It seems like the organizers are missing an important aspect — that the catechumens are being dismissed in order to have a communal celebration of the Word of God with their fellow catechumens. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults nos. 81–89 describes such celebrations of the Word of God, and no. 86 states that the first part of such a celebration is the singing of a song. It is hard for me to imagine this song being sung by one catechumen and perhaps a sponsor and a couple of catechists. But get all four catechumens together with their sponsors and catechists, then there might be some decent singing!

The Order of Catechumens is meant to be a group, not four isolated individuals. It is a community embracing the faith moving toward full membership into a larger community of faith, the Church. This understanding permeates all of the teachings and laws regarding initiation.

Catechumens are like the Israelites being set free from slavery from Egypt. They are on the run from Pharaoh, heading toward the waters of the Red Sea. But this is not a journey that they take alone but with others.

It is reasonable to want all members of the parish to know that there are catechumens. An alternative would be having the dismissals done at different Masses on a rotating basis. 

Q: I am a volunteer on our parish initiation team, and our pastor insists that people resolve marriage issues before starting the program. Is this correct?

A: Yes, that’s correct. The Norms for the Preparation for and Celebration of Marriage for our diocese states: “Unless they never intend to marry again, potential catechumens and those seeking to complete their initiation into Catholic Church who have prior marital bonds should complete the process for a declaration of marital nullity prior to the celebration of the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens or the Rite of Welcoming the Candidates. … [Those] invalidly married should have their marriages validated prior to the celebration of the Rite of Acceptance [or] Welcome. In cases where a declaration of marital nullity is needed, the person should be advised early in the process that initiation may need to be delayed” (nos. 84, 115).

The fact that those who are divorced and remarried are not permitted to receive the sacraments is a matter of morality. But it is also not fair to initiate people without them knowing whether or not they have a right to marry as a Catholic. Also, people are often helped by the impetus of knowing that they have to resolve the marriage issues before initiation.

Further, it is better to resolve marital issues before the Rite of Acceptance or Welcome in order to avoid disappointment. Once people start going through rites, they get excited about their initiation. Zeal for the Lord grows within them. But sometimes Tribunal procedures take longer than expected. To then tell them shortly before the Easter vigil that they cannot receive the sacraments is heart wrenching, especially if they have built up bonds of affection with others in a group who all are initiated. While it may seem off-putting to ask people to resolve their marital issues first, in the long run, it is usually kinder.

Q: My pastor recently announced that he was going to offer a three-week course (90 minutes each) during Lent to prepare Catholic adults for confirmation, and that he is going to confirm them during the Easter season. He said that it is for Catholics who come to Mass each week but who were never confirmed. Is this correct that he is only requiring three sessions? In the past, these Catholics were required to do a full year in OCIA.

A: Your pastor is correct. The Norms for the Preparation for and Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation and First Penance no. 71 state: “For Catholic adults who are catechized and active in the practice of the faith but who for some reason never received Confirmation, immediate preparation only needs to be provided. This would involve a few sessions that provide catechesis on the sacrament of Confirmation, a retreat or other prayer experience, and an opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of Penance.”

This follows a general principle of the norms that catechesis is to be tailored to the person’s needs. Those seeking the sacraments without any prior catechesis do need a full year of catechesis and formation, ordinarily beginning in Lent of one year and concluding at Easter of the following year. But for faithful Catholics who come to Mass each week who just missed confirmation for some reason, it is not necessary that they fulfill the same requirements.

Q: I was baptized as an adult 10 years ago. I love being a Catholic, and every year I go to the Easter vigil and I think of it as my “birthday.”  But the only thing is, I have never gone to confession. I remember them talking about the sacrament of reconciliation before I got baptized, and that I didn’t need to go to confession before baptism since baptism washes away all sin. I don’t think that I’ve committed mortal sins, but I have been thinking that I should have gone to confession by now. What should I do?

A: As advice to you, find an Examination of Conscience pamphlet somewhere. The Examination of Conscience is a list of questions that will help you think of your sins. There might be ones available in your parish. Or go the U.S. bishops’ website.

After examining your conscience, simply go to confession when they are scheduled at your parish. Tell your priest that this is your first confession since you were baptized 10 years ago, tell him your sins, say the Prayer of the Penitent, and he will give you absolution (forgiveness). Don’t make it more complicated than that.

The Prayer of the Penitent is commonly called the “act of contrition.” It is a prayer that expresses your sorrow for past sins and an intention not to sin in the future. There are several approved versions or you can even express it in your own words. A brief one that is easy to memorize is: “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Adult initiation team leaders: Don’t forget about the sacrament of penance! Some parishes celebrate first penance during the period of mystagogy, just few weeks after baptism. Some parishes schedule it the following Lent, gathering last year’s catechumens together. The sooner after baptism it is celebrated, the easier it is for the first penitents. 

Q: I am Catholic and my husband has no religion but wants to become Catholic. We weren’t married in the Catholic Church and need to get our marriage fixed. But the parish catechumenate director told my husband that he needs to petition for an annulment for his prior marriage. Why would he have to do this? My husband’s prior marriage was to a non-Catholic woman and it took place before a judge.

A: With most sacraments, Jesus created them from scratch; they were not around before him in any manner. There was the baptism of St. John the Baptist and of the Essences, but this is an exception. But pretty much the other six sacraments have their origin in the Lord and the primitive Church that he established and did not exist widely in society or in other cultures.

Marriage is different. Marriage has developed as an institution in all cultures. Certain cultures have gotten certain details wrong, for example, by allowing polygamy. But the basic idea of a man and a woman coming together for life and starting a family is a universal and timeless practice, regardless of nationality or religion.

In instituting marriage as a sacrament, Jesus took something that already existed and raised it to a higher dignity. But marriage existed before Jesus, and marriage has continued to exist among people who are not Christians. So if a man and a woman, both of whom are not Catholic, marry, then the Catholic Church assumes that the marriage is a valid marriage which would end only in death. This is true no matter how the marriage took place. (Only Catholics are required to get married in the Catholic Church.) A divorce does nothing to the bond of marriage, and the parties are just as much married the day after the divorce as the day before the divorce.

That is why the presumption is that your husband is still bound to his first wife. If he is able to petition a Catholic Tribunal and prove his first marriage was invalid, then he would be free to validate his current marriage to you and the path would be cleared for him to become a catechumen. 

Q: I wanted to be the sponsor for my wife who is being baptized at Easter. I have been attending classes with her and we both have grown in our faith together. But the initiation director in my parish told me that spouses are prohibited from being sponsors by canon law.

A: Your initiation director needs to be updated on canon law. In the Latin (Roman) Catholic Church, spouses are permitted to serve as godparents (sponsors). Only parents as a category of people are prohibited from being godparents. This is because parents already have responsibilities with regard to their children and adding the responsibility of being a godparent would be redundant.

It was true that under the 1917 Code of Canon Law spouses were prohibited from serving as godparents. That code was replaced by the current Code of Canon Law in 1983, which removed that restriction.

Plus, if both the husband and wife are growing in their understanding and practice of the faith together as catechumen and godparent, that it could have a positive effect on their marriage. There can even be a danger to a marriage if a disparity is created between the husband and wife with regard to religious practice. This can happen if one develops a more profound faith as a convert and leaves the spouse already Catholic behind with a less mature faith.

Q: I am a deacon working with both marriage preparation and adult initiation in my parish. The new administrator of my parish (an international priest) insists that anyone getting married must receive confirmation prior to marriage. I thought you didn’t have to be confirmed to get married in the Catholic Church. Your thoughts?

A: Being confirmed before marriage is the ideal. Diocesan norms for marriage (nos. 33–34)  and for initiation (nos. 76–77) state: “Confirmation should be conferred before marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience (canon 1065 §2). For baptized Catholics who have not received the sacraments of Confirmation or first Holy Communion, the use of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is appropriate, with the amount of catechesis adapted to the needs of the person.

“A person, however, should not be rushed into the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation and first Holy Communion without adequate preparation (canon 889 §2). The reception of these sacraments also should not be approached merely as legalistic steps to fulfill as a preparation for marriage. In cases of more limited time frames before marriage, it may be better to defer reception of the sacraments of Confirmation and first Holy Communion so that the preparation for their fruitful celebration is not shortchanged.”

Perhaps during the time of marriage preparation, a few sessions could be included to prepare unconfirmed Catholic brides and grooms for confirmation. The priest can then confirm them on a Sunday of the Easter season or request delegation to confirm them on another occasion. When this is not possible, it is always a good practice to keep in touch with newly married couples and offer these sessions and an opportunity for confirmation after they return from their honeymoon.

Obviously if a bride or groom also needs first Holy Communion and has never gone to confession, more catechesis is needed than if he or she only needs to receive confirmation. The catechesis should be tailored to the needs of the individual.

Q: I am the director of our parish adult initiation program, and I have a candidate who claims to be baptized but doesn’t have any proof. Should she be baptized conditionally?

A: Generally speaking, no. A person should only be conditionally baptized if there is a doubt about the fact of baptism or a doubt about the validity of the baptism, not because of a lack of proof (canon 869). A lack of proof might simply mean that she was baptized in a Christian denomination that does not keep sacramental records or does not issue certificates.

Baptism may only be conferred conditionally after a thorough investigation has been conducted regarding the possible baptism and if a serious reason exists to doubt the fact or the validity of the baptism. One needs to consider the usual practices of her denomination and what proof might be available. There might be witnesses or even photographs. Extended family members might know if parents are not available. If she was old enough, she might be able to testify to her own baptism.

A conditional baptism would not be done during Mass but instead in a private setting. Also, the priest or deacon would add the words, “If you are not baptized” before, “I baptize you ….” If the plan for your candidate is to initiate her at the Easter vigil or on Pentecost, the conditional baptism would be done in advance and then she would be received into full communion and receive confirmation and first Holy Communion at the Mass.

If a conditional baptism is necessary, a clear explanation needs to be provided to her about the doctrine of baptism being an unrepeatable sacrament and the reasons for the doubt about the fact or validity of the baptism.

Q:  My husband wants to become Catholic but was married before, and the pastor of my parish says he must petition for an annulment before he can start OCIA. Can’t we just live as brother and sister?

A: Whenever someone asks about “brother-sister” arrangements, it makes it seem like the Church is just out to prohibit people from being sexually intimate. The Catholic Church wants people to be sexual intimate. In fact, the Church says that it is an obligation of marriage.

When Jesus taught about divorce, he was not teaching something that just applies to Catholics, such as belief in the Real Presence. He restored God’s original plan for marriage, a plan that applies to all people. “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female,’” Jesus said, “Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk. 10:6–9).Consequently, the Catholic Church recognizes marriages even of non-Catholics as binding until death.

The Church is mindful of difficult circumstances that people find themselves in. So it created a process so that people can prove that a marriage that they entered was invalid and, consequently, not binding until death. This process is available for Catholics as well as for non-Catholics who want to marry Catholics or become Catholic.

The Tribunal process that the Church created keeps two truths in balance — the truth that Jesus taught about marriage lasting until death, and the truth that, at times, something essential was lacking in a relationship so that a valid marriage did not take place.

It is not fair to an adult seeking to become Catholic to not have his or her marital status clarified first. Therefore, your pastor is doing the right thing by asking him to petition. 

Brother-sister relationships are not preferred or encouraged but tolerated if truly necessary. There has to be a reason, such as when a couple has young children. Otherwise, a couple in an illicit relationship is to separate.

Q: I am volunteer working with adult initiation in my parish and I have gotten questions on annulment procedures. I have one woman who wants to be Catholic and wants to know if she can get an annulment in a month or two as she wants to be Catholic before Christmas. What do I tell her?

A: Tell her that her timeline is unrealistic.

First, to clarify terminology, it is not proper to refer to a “declaration of nullity” as an “annulment.” The term “annulment” implies that the Church is doing something to make a marriage null. Rather, a Tribunal, using a judicial process, declares that something was lacking in a marriage from the beginning so that a valid marriage did not take place.

Second, the pope shorten the process in his 2016 reforms. He simplified preliminary steps relating to jurisdiction, clarified matters in the procedures, and eliminated the automatic second instance review of an affirmative decision by another Tribunal. This will eliminate months off the process. That is the good news.

Third, here is the “but.” It still must be proven that the marriage was invalid. A declaration of nullity is not an automatic process. The Church has always taken the words of Jesus seriously, who said that anyone who divorces and marries another commits adultery.  Grounds for nullity must exist. Evidence must still be collected through affidavits and hearings at the Tribunal office. Witnesses must still submit testimony. The pope made it possible to get a faster decision, but he did not make it so that decisions are merely rubber stamped.

Q: I was baptized in a Congregational church when I was 12, and two years ago I was received into the Catholic Church and, since then, I have been on the adult initiation team at my parish. When I became Catholic, I had been divorced, and the priest told me that my prior marriage didn’t count since it wasn’t a Catholic ceremony. I was happy with that, and now I want to get married. But my new priest told me that I have to petition for an annulment for my first marriage. Is that correct? I am thinking about getting married in another Church.

A: It is a problem that many people, including some priests, think that the only true marriages are Catholic marriages. The Catholic Church presumes that all marriages, when both the husband and wife are not Catholic, are true and valid marriages. So what your current priest is telling you is correct.

Marriage ends in death, and if two people marry validly, they remain just as much married the day after the divorce as the day before the divorce. In other words, divorce has only civil effects and does nothing to a true marriage. This is just as true for marriages among non-Catholics as for Catholic marriages.

Catholics are required to get married before an authorized Catholic priest or deacon and two witnesses. This is called “canonical form.” This applies when two Catholics get married or when a Catholic marries a non- Catholic. If a Catholic gets married in a non-Catholic ceremony (with no dispensation), then the marriage is invalid due to “lack of canonical form.”

Please don’t get married in a non-Catholic ceremony as it would be invalid. Catholics in invalid marriages are not permitted to receive the sacraments, and you don’t want to be in that situation for the sake of your soul. Go to your priest and ask him to help you petition for a declaration of nullity.

Q: May candidates for confirmation who are adults be dismissed for “break out” sessions with the catechumens after the homily? They were baptized and received first Holy Communion.

A: The model of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults assumes that we are evangelizing people who are unfamiliar with our Catholic practices. Therefore, “from the very beginning of the period of the catechumenate, the catechumens should be taught to keep holy the Lord’s Day. … Gradually the catechumens should be admitted to the first part of the celebration of the Sunday Mass. After the liturgy of the word they should, if possible, be dismissed” (OCIA no. 83).

It can be surprising for non-baptized persons, married to Catholics, who have been attending Mass for years with their spouses, to suddenly start being dismissed. This misses the point that the purpose is not to dismiss but rather to introduce the concept of going to Mass, “to prepare them gradually to enter the worship assembly of the entire community” (no. 82). Care needs to be taken with dismissing catechumens who are already used to attending Mass.

It is never permissible to dismiss the baptized. The baptized are part of the people of God, even if not yet received into the full communion of the Catholic Church (canons 204–205). All of the baptized have a right to be present for the celebration of the Eucharist, even if not permitted to receive Holy Communion (canon 213). So candidates for full communion may not be dismissed from the celebration of the Eucharist. Furthermore, the people you are asking about are Catholics and thus are obligated to be present for the entire Sunday Mass (canon 1247).

In the rites there is never a reference to dismissing those already baptized. The OCIA text consistently emphasizes this point: “In the catechesis of the community and in the celebration of these rites, care must be taken to maintain the distinction between the catechumens and the baptized candidates” (no. 506). So if you wish to have a celebration of the word for your candidates similar to that for catechumens, it needs to be after Mass.

Q: I have been going to Mass for many years with my Catholic wife and have been thinking about becoming Catholic. So I attended my first inquiry session and they kept talking about “catechumens” and “candidates.” What’s the difference?

A catechumen is an unbaptized person who has gone through the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, which takes places after an initial inquiry period (canon 851, 1º). Catechumens have a special status in the Church and are given certain rights, for example, the right to a Catholic funeral if they were to die before baptism (canons 206, 1183 §1).

A candidate is someone who is validly baptized and is seeking reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church and/or confirmation and first Holy Communion. A Rite of Welcoming the Candidates is ordinarily celebrated for them. Candidates might be Christians baptized in non-Catholic ecclesial communities who now want to become Catholic. Candidates also might be people who received Catholic baptism as infants but who never received confirmation and/or first Holy Communion.

The difference between catechumens and candidates recognizes the spiritual reality of baptism. Baptism, by God’s action, transforms a person permanently and can be received only once (canon 864). Therefore, one of the most important tasks of initiation leaders is to determine whether a person is validly baptized or not. Sometimes this is easier said than done.

The Catholic Church has declared that certain baptisms are invalid. For example, in 2001, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that Mormon baptisms are invalid. However, in most situations, the baptisms of non-Catholic Christians are valid, but the Catholic Church has not made any formal declaration one way or another.

Mainline Protestant denominations generally have valid baptism (e.g., Episcopalians, Lutherans). This means that they immerse in or pour water three times, use the Trinitarian formula (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”), and intend to do what the Church intends to do by baptism (canons 849, 854). Interestingly, the person baptizing does not need to be a baptized Christian for the baptism to be valid (canon 861 §2). For example, a Jewish doctor in a hospital might validly baptize a baby in danger of death at the request of the parents.

A word of caution: There are some groups that have practices that resemble baptism but for some reason do not entail a valid baptism. Many Pentecostals baptize only “in the name of Jesus” rather than using the full Trinitarian formula. Sometimes a ceremony believed to be baptism was instead a dedication ceremony. So not everyone who thinks they are baptized validly really are.

Q: A person is enrolled in our OCIA program but claims to already be Catholic. What makes a person “Catholic”?

A: A person becomes Catholic in one of two ways:

• By Catholic baptism
• By previous valid non-Catholic baptism and then reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church

Both of these are what canon law refers to as “juridic acts,” that is, actions with legal effects in canon law (canon 124).

Most of us have been at a baptism ceremony, although we may not have realized that we were witnessing a legal event. For a baptism to be valid, the person must be immersed in water three times or water must be poured three times, the correct words must be spoken (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”), and the person baptizing must intend to do what the Church intends by baptism.

When a person was validly baptized but the baptism was not Catholic, the person can become Catholic by being received into the Catholic Church. The act of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church is an action done ordinarily by a pastor through an act of his will expressed in words. It occurs following the person’s profession of faith and just before being confirmed. The act of reception occurs when the pastor says, “Name, the Lord receives you into the Catholic Church. His loving kindness has led you here, so that in the unity of the Holy Spirit you may have full communion with us in the faith that you have professed in the presence of his family” (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, nos. 492, 596). With these words, the person becomes Catholic.

According to canon law, to be Catholic means to be a member of the Church governed by the successor of St. Peter, the pope, and the bishops in communion with him (canon 204 §2). So even if a religious group refers to itself as “Catholic,” canon law does not consider it to be Catholic unless they are under the authority of the Holy Father.

Unfortunately, there are some Christian religious denominations that claim that they are Catholic or use the term Catholic in their title but are not truly Catholic because they are not under the authority of the pope. These groups have varied histories, often having broken away from the Catholic Church at some point in history. There are also individuals who for one reason or another believe that they are Catholic but, in fact, they are not. This is a common problem with those who were baptized in the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan).

The good news is that all people are welcome and invited to become Catholic. They just need to be baptized as a Catholic or, if already validly baptized, received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

Q: Our pastor is requiring our adult candidates for initiation to get married in the Church before Easter. They are already married. Why is this necessary?

A: Catholics are required to get married according to what is called “canonical form.” This means that Catholics are required to get married before an authorized Catholic priest or deacon and two witnesses (canon 1108). This applies even if only one of the two getting married is Catholic.

In certain circumstances when a Catholic is marrying a non-Catholic, it is possible to seek a dispensation from canonical form to get married in another manner (e.g., by a Protestant minister) (canon 1127). A dispensation is an exception to the law, and the usual preparation requirements for marriage are still needed.

However, if two Catholics or a Catholic and a non-Catholic get married outside of the Catholic Church with no dispensation from canonical form, the marriage is invalid. The Church considers the civil marriage as if it doesn’t exist, and it is necessary then to get married in the Catholic Church according to canonical form.

By saying that they are “already married,” presumably that you mean that they are merely married civilly (including in a non-Catholic religious ceremony) and that those who must have their marriages validated (made valid by a new marriage ceremony) are situations where the non-Catholic spouse is becoming Catholic and is civilly married to a Catholic. So what your pastor is doing is necessary because one must be in a valid marriage in order to receive the sacraments of initiation (canon 865).

However, in a situation where a husband and wife both were both becoming Catholic, since neither were Catholic previously, their marriage is presumed to be valid no matter how they were married, assuming that neither was married before (canons 1060, 1085). There is no requirement for a validation since the Catholic Church presumes that marriages by two non-Catholics are valid marriages. 

Q: I am a priest trying to figure out if several adults who want to become Catholic were validly baptized before. Help!

 A: A frequent challenge faced by those who work with adult initiation is to determine whether or not a person interested in becoming Catholic has already been validly baptized. In baptism, a spiritual reality is created — a person is made part of Christ. The practical difficulty is that the spiritual reality is not visible to the eye!

To help with this discernment, please consult this list. It includes both the largest ecclesial communities on the mainland and throughout the world plus many smaller communities present in Hawaii. To search the page, click Ctrl+F (on a PC) or ⌘+F (on a Mac).

The list is based as far as possible on information on websites of the communities themselves. If the community's website supports a conclusion that the community celebrates baptism with a genuine washing with water and the use of the Trinitarian formula ("In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"), then the proper intention by the minister is presumed. This list is based on the general practice of the denomination; it does not guarantee that each particular minister celebrates baptism validly.

Some communities use the name of their denomination in the title of their individual locations. Some do not. Others do so inconsistently. Individual locations in Hawaii are listed only if they do not include the denominational name in the location's title.

A particular challenge is the autonomous, non-denominational communities that do not use creeds so are not clearly Trinitarian in their doctrine and lack standardized baptismal practices. It is thorny to reach any general conclusion that their baptisms are valid.

Some additional cautions:

• Beware of “dedication of children” or other similar ceremonies that are not baptisms.
• Baptisms “In the name of Jesus,” celebrated by some “oneness” denominations, are invalid.
• Some denominations distinguish between water baptism as an “ordinance” and “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” A baptism of the Holy Spirit, without water and without the Trinitarian formula, would not constitute a valid baptism. Baptism as an ordinance is likely valid.