There is a general consensus that the RCIA—Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults—is the most successful educational process introduced into the Roman Catholic Church since Vatican II. Its success is due to the wisdom it contains and offers. William Harmless (1995), in Augustine and the Catechumenate, affirms that the wisdom of the RCIA, which had been long forgotten, provides a theological, psychological sensitivity and pastoral realism, which despite its age, is strikingly contemporary (5).

 

In the early days of the church, the initiation process was loosely organized. It was similar to the primitive rites of the Jewish sects. It included a period of instruction and repentance, then a reception to the community through a water bath and at times with the laying on of hands (Sacramental Guidelines RCIA).

 

From the second century to the fifth century, candidates for Baptism had a long period of preparation that included instruction, prayer and performing good works. When they were ready to receive the sacrament of Baptism, the godparents testified for the candidates, who bathed, fasted, and prayed before receiving the sacrament. Before the ceremony itself, the candidates were exorcised and anointed. They were then undressed and went into the water to profess their faith and be baptized. As they emerged, clothed with a white garment, they received the anointing by the bishop to confirm their new life in Christ. Since it was impossible for a bishop to attend all the baptisms, the Western Church separated the latter anointing of the rite of Baptism, to be administered afterward by the bishop in a ceremony of Confirmation (Sacramental Guidelines RCIA).

 

Between the sixth century and the twentieth century, Christianity became a common religion, and infant baptisms were the general rule. No longer was there a need for lengthy preparations for Baptism. In some places, the boy/girl was confirmed when he/she was baptized. However, over time, this ceremony was postponed until a later age. In 1566 the Council of Trent declared the advent of the "age of reason" as the time for Confirmation. Confirmation was no longer seen as the seal of Baptism, but rather as a sacrament of growth, confirming the faith of the Christian. The kiss of peace given by the Bishop turned into a (soft) blow on the cheek to signify that one must be prepared to suffer for Christ (Sacramental Guidelines RCIA).

 

Vatican II directed the restoration of the ancient rite of initiation. It describes the initiation of adults as a spiritual journey of paschal character, i.e., a journey rooted in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. To draft the RCIA, the Council commissioned the study of ancient sacramentaries, patriarchal sermons, and apologetic documents. These ancient texts treat Christian initiation as a process related to human nature. The new rite divides the journey of initiation into four states and three rituals to mark the passage from one state to another. The states are (1) Evangelization and Pre-catechumenate, (2) Catechumenate, (3) Purification and Illumination, and (4) Mystagogy. The rituals are (a) Acceptance into the Order of Catechumenate, (b) Election (or Inscription of Names), and (c) the Sacraments of Initiation (Harmless 1995, 3).

 

With the RCIA, Harmless notes, the Second Vatican Council not only resurrects old rituals, practices and states. It also recalls a former radical vision of the church that (1) proposes conversion in the center of everything, (2) reforms the role of the community, (3) redefines the meaning of catechesis and (4) sees Baptism as the beginning of a long journey of transformation (Harmless 1995, 9).

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Harmless, William. 1995. Augustine and the Catechumenate. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press.

Sacramental Guidelines RCIA. Diocese of Fort Worth. Accessed December 10. http://www.fwdioc.org/worship/Documents/sacramental_guidelines_rcia.pdf.