I’m protestant. What do I have to do to convert to Catholicism.?

Question

The reason i ask is because my girlfriend is catholic and in order for her family to accept me i would have to eventually - if we were to get married -convert. I dont necesarrily believe all catholic beleifs and i am more protestant than catholic.

Answer 1

Well, here’s the first step, anyway: Have you ever been to Mass? The Mass is the most wonderful thing in the world, because here Christ is truly present to his people: body, blood, soul, and divinity. Come to Mass on Sunday (do not take communion, of course, but try to follow along) and talk to the priest afterward (he’ll often be shaking hands with folks as they leave). Your goal is to come to some classes to find out more about the faith. These are called the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and are held at some, but not all, parishes. If you go to Mass on Holy Saturday night (the day before Easter Sunday) you will often see converts receiving the sacraments (this is the longest Mass of the year by far; weekly it's just about an hour). There’s no pressure in the RCIA, you just come and learn about the faith. Good luck and God bless on your journey closer to Christ and His Church. Happy Easter!

Answer 2

On the purely practical level, you go to an inquiry class and ask questions. If you're still interested after that, you sign up for a course of study, consisting of weekly meetings based on the Sunday Bible readings where you hear, discuss and pray about them and related Catholic doctrines with the group and your volunteer Catholic sponsor. It usually takes six months to a year before you, the teachers and the pastor decide whether you're ready for full initiation into the Church, commonly at the Easter Vigil.

If you're asking what you have to believe, that's what the classes are for. Essentially, Catholics subscribe to the same Nicene Creed that many Protestants accept. Beyond that, Catholics believe that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper are actually the body and blood of Christ. They believe in the authority of "apostolic succession", an unbroken chain of ordinations from the early Church. They believe in the veneration of the saints, especially Mary, and in prayerful intercession on behalf of others. But ideas like these don't make much sense outside of a discussion of how they historically came about, an experience of how they function in the Church and perhaps consideration of why Protestants chose different paths. Catechumens and Candidates for full communion (people who already have Christian baptism) may also learn from their sponsors that Catholics are not a monolithic block of same-minded believers. There are many different ways of being "Catholic", and they don't all agree on what's important.

Answer 3

Call your local Catholic church and ask when RCIA Inquiry classes meet. RCIA is an ancient program, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It has four stages and some rites:

1) Inquiry - You meet once a week in the evening. You get questions to write answers to, and delve into scripture but not super deeply. It's a place where you can ask all the questions you want. There is no committment to attend; should you attend once, it's fine. Should you attend 100 times, it's fine. The people are really kind, and they welcome everyone. Inquiry is open to all. You can tell your stories, like what brought you to the RCIA, what your religious background was before (if any), what you've always wanted to know about Catholicism but never asked, etc. It's a very enjoyable time, really.

2) The Rite of Acceptance - When you are ready, and the RCIA team believes you are ready to enter the Catechumenate, which is the next step in the RCIA. This is done during the Mass. Yes, you get up in front of everyone. You receive the sign of the cross on your head, shoulders, hands, and feet - so that you may learn about Christ, take up your "cross" on your shoulders and be a good Christian, do God's work, and walk in the way of Christ. (The Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate)

3) Catechumenate - This is when you are assigned an RCIA sponsor who will answer your questions and study with you and the rest of the group. You meet on Sundays after Mass, delve deeper into scripture, are taught church traditions and some church history, and you develop spiritually on a deeper level. Your sponsor is your companion and friend throughout this process, and you can ask him/her anything. If they don't have the answer, it is their duty to get the answer.

4) Rite of Election - The RCIA team and Catechumenate sponsors discuss who is ready for the next step in the RCIA process. Candidates pretty much know if they're gonna be elected, 'cause they discuss it with their sponsors. The Rite of Election is when you (and whoever else) are presented to the people in the Mass, along with the sponsors, and they pray for you. The priest says the prayers, and people are asked to raise their hands up, like they are touching your head, and they pray for your spiritual path.

5) The Electorate - This is what you are a part of after the Rite above. Every Sunday, you attend Mass with the other Electorate Candidates. I mean you actually sit together. You stay for the first half of the Mass, which is called the Liturgy of the Word. You sing hymns, listen to the readings, sing/say the responsorial psalm, and listen to the homily. After the homily, the priest calls up the Electorate, and the group goes to the front of the church to receive the priest's prayers and blessings. You all leave, along with the RCIA team members (not the sponsors), and as you leave, the people sing to you for enlightenment. After Mass there is a break, when the sponsors join the team, and study continues - after the coffee & doughnut break, lol. This all happens during the weeks of Lent.

The reason you leave before the second half of the Mass, which is the Liturty of the Eucharist, is because the rest of the church is partaking in something that you can't have, which is Holy Eucharist. It's like being at a banquet and everyone else is eating and enjoying, but you can't participate, you can only watch. So, as a courtesy to the Electoral Candidates, they leave before Communion.

6) Easter Vigil - During the Easter Vigil Mass, you receive your Sacraments of Initiation, whichever ones you haven't yet done... Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation. If you were baptized already, even in a Protestant church, then you are not re-baptized. The Catholic church recognizes your first baptism and accepts it. After the Easter Vigil Mass, there is a celebration, and all the parishoners are welcome to attend and congratulate you and welcome you into the parish as full members of the Catholic church.

Btw, on Tuesday of Holy Week, just days before the Easter Vigil, you make your first Confession. You meet in the evening with the other Electorate Candidates, and one by one, you confess. In private of course, in the confessional, not among everyone there, lol.

7) Mystagogia - This is a Greek word wihch means "opening of the mysteries." During this stage, this same Electorate still meets on Sundays, however this time they stay for the entire Mass. After Mass, they gather in the same classroom and study some more. This continues until Pentecost, then the RCIA process is completed.

Ideally, Mystagogia never ends. Ideally, we continue to grow spiritually, always striving to open the mysteries of God. Ideally, this stage lasts for life.

Answer 4

Marta if you did a little research you might find out Protestants removed whole books from the bible to suit their own desires.

RCIA is what you have to do to learn of the Catholic faith. If you have already had your baptism and confirmation in a Protestant Church, you will just have to be welcomed into the Church once you have learned about the faith and have been practicing it for a while.

Answer 5

The first thing you need to do is find out what the authentic Catholic church teaches about God, and then, believe it in your heart.

That process usually begins with the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults ... or RCIA, which is available through virtually every Catholic Church.

To locate a Catholic church in your area, go here:

http://www.masstimes.org/dotNet/default.aspx

Send me your address, and I'll send you a free copy of my Catholic Resource CD.

God bless you.

Answer 6

You need to call your local Catholic Church and inquire about the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes. They are ending now, but will begin a new session soon. In these classes you will learn about the Church teachings and if you choose to convert you will come into the Church at Easter.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 7

Contact a priest. You will have to go through RCIA (rite of Christian initiation). Now some priest unfortunately will not take a person from another Christian religion as they feel it is unecumenical. If you have that problem, find another. Watch EWTN. Marcus Grodi has a program on Monday nights where he interviews converts, many former ministers of other Christian faiths. You will find his address on the program. If you have difficulty contacting a priest, he could probably direct you to one in the area where you live.

Answer 8

Julia is right. You should also go talk to your local priest. You can start attending Masses without being confirmed but only confirmed Catholics should receive the Eucharist. Don't be afraid of asking the priest to help you start learning about it even before RCIA.

Answer 9

Toss out a good portion of what you believe and accept things that just are not true, but men say that they are. Take your pick, the word of men, or the word of God. Protestant churches believe that a person can communicate through prayer directly to God. That is a major point of the temple veil being torn from top to bottom in the Holy of Holys when Jesus chose to allow Himself to die on the cross. The Catholic church believe that you must go to confession to be heard by a priest and do what ever he tells you to do to cover your sins. This, and a long list of other things that are contrary to the Bible. If you need to do works to satisfy your need to prove something to God, which you don't, then send money to help feed the poor and spend your week ends at a shelter helping people in need. The Red Cross, or the Salvation Army is always taking volunteers.

Answer 10

If you are interested in joining or just learning more about the Catholic Church, contact your local parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group.

You can go and ask any questions you want.

This is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time.

There is no obligation to become a Catholic.

With love and prayers in Christ.