Among the white elephants in the room of the OF: Adult initiation rites

kevinf

WIth the passing of another poorly executed rite in the Adult initiation rituals at my parish, I have openly began to lament these rites. I can remember when the "white" book of 1988 came and everyone was excited about these rituals. I heard Aidan Kavanaugh expound upon these rites as the advent of a new age of the church's evangelisation. People headed off to meetings and conferences of the North American forum on the catechumenate and heard the gospel of the catechumenate preached by Fr. Jim Dunning, a leader in this movement. Sample rituals were passed around like water in the desert to thirsty travelers. Among all the rubrics in the book, the most fascinating of them was the " in these or similar words". We were encouraged to make them "our" own.

Flash forward 25 years later and they are still being celebrated poorly. Clerics are mostly clueless about the distinctions between "elect" and candidates. Scripts for the rites are extemporaneously adapted. Current trends toward the propers have not desired (perhaps with good reason) to supply music for these things, perhaps because they reflect what I call "the white elephant in the room" of ritual patterns in the Roman rite. These rites are often formed by well-intentioned DREs that may or may not have liturgical theological training (thankfully mine does have it) and executed by clerics who constantly seem to forget that we are supposed to celebrate these rites at all. And many communities still look at these rites with a mixture of bewilderment and confusion. And of course there is the shift in the lectionary to accommodate these rituals to the "A" cycle in Lent, thus cutting off two cycles of readings which contain wonderful pericopies.

These rituals are part of the OF, but are they really? I am aware that many parts of the world do not celebrate these rituals and it may be an "American" thing. And the variances are so deep from community to community given their "adaptibility" that it may be difficult to even recognize them from place to place. In a a short defense, I know of many people who have entered the church through this process and I have sent more than a few singers "attracted" to the Roman rite through this process.

I suppose the real question is, what do we do with these elephants and given the rather innocuous tone of these rituals, what shall we do? I am constantly torn between pushing them full-steam to be prepared well and well, I think you know the rest.....

I can remember hearing that " the catechumenate will renew the Church." Perhaps it could, or maybe not?

From the bourbon lands,
k

Adam Wood

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

"There's man all over for you- blaming on his shoes the faults of his feet."

The Rites are not to blame.

Scott_W

And many communities still look at these rites with a mixture of bewilderment and confusion.

In my case the bewilderment and confusion was largely on the candidates and catechumens themselves. We had an RCIA instructor that was into the whole "lived experience" method. This meant the program was mostly content-free. So when it came time for the rites, the instructor would tell us very little about what would actually happen in the rite. After the rite in the next session the instructor asked us questions like, "Where was God?" Of course being in a content-free program meant we literally had no language equipped to answer the question any more incisively than with a few mewlings about feelings. (How feelings of mild embarrassment and bafflement translated into anything of theological significance is anyone's guess.) It was like going to school to learn how to be ignorant.

These rituals are part of the OF, but are they really?

With my personal bad experience and the fact that I've never seen the rites done well since that time (I confess I usually find out which Mass has the rites and avoid it), I'm not an objective person to say, but I would love to hear an answer to this. My own unschooled venture is that these seemed to be a kind of "get back to how the early Church used to do it" quality to it, which would be fine if it didn't lead to other things like clay chalices and patens. It reminds me of Tolkien's comment about people who would uproot an ancient oak tree in order to find the acorn it came from.

Adam Wood

I'm biased here, as my mother was the director of the RCIA program in the parish I grew up in, and the Initiation process has had a profound impact on my spirituality and theology.

The Rites themselves are excellent, provided they are celebrated excellently. The preparation program overall, in the parish I grew up in, took liturgy (the RCIA rites, as well as the Mass and the Divine Office) as its starting point, explaining and teaching Catholic doctrine in terms of the liturgy itself.

After the rite in the next session the instructor asked us questions like, "Where was God?" Of course being in a content-free program meant we literally had no language equipped to answer the question any more incesively than with a few mewlings about feelings.

Not my experience at all, nor what was ever intended.

In my home parish, the process and the Rites gave all of us - the initiates going through the process, as well as those of us connected to it in one way or another, and also the larger community - the language to talk about all the stuff (God, liturgy, salvation, faith...) which I have found to be lacking in most Catholics. And the pre- and post- liturgy reflections (here's what will happen....what do you remember happening) instilled in me (and others, I believe) an understanding of the importance and impact of liturgy.

But of course, catechists and RCIA directors (and even priests) can't teach what they don't know. So it isn't really any wonder that this turns out poorly in most places. But then again, so does Mass generally.

chonak

A ritual, by its nature, requires consistency, so when the central elements of a rite are left unspecified or are left up to the discretion of individual participants, something is amiss. The effect is that the ceremony no longer functions as a ritual and nobody knows what will happen next or how to participate.

Scott_W

Thanks Adam. I'm glad to hear that it isn't always a wrecking ball.

CharlesW

I admit some of these rites are puzzling to most. Based on visual observation, they have the rite of waving the book, the rite of stomping down the aisle, the rite of - I know, it's laying on of hands - checking the initiates for fleas, or so it appears.

However, the people in our parish who run the program do an excellent job of teaching doctrine, liturgy, and tradition. I am invited to attend their sessions every year to talk about Church music, relevant documents, etc. Properly run, RCIA is a good program. Poorly run, it is a disaster.

Adam Wood

Properly run, RCIA is a good program. Poorly run, it is a disaster.

This statement is true about everything.

Ally

The Rites themselves are beautiful, but you have to read through them carefully.Those rites are great examples of the many options that exist in the OF, and when prepared and celebrated well, the end-result is the wonderful and profound experience Adam described above.

jpal

I got pretty excited about this in my liturgy/theology courses at CUA. Alas, my actual experience (before and after) has not really illuminated the historical-theological basis for the rites. Cribbing Douglas Adams, I would describe them (in my experience) as Mostly Harmless.

Carl D

I entered the Church through RCIA in 1985, and then was a member of our parish's RCIA team for almost 25 years until things fell apart. I well remember the challenges we faced in coming to terms with the White Book - it caused us to reflect deeply about what RCIA was for. We ended up improving a great many things, including a clear distinction between Catechumens and Candidates. This was greatly helped by a strong Priest and Bishop.

My experience was much like Adam's - RCIA is still one of the most important periods of my life, and I worked hard to help it have that same impact for others.

When done well, RCIA is absolutely amazing, and truly life-changing. But all too often it's just another RE class with vague goals and unclear process. I'd suggest that if you want to improve it, then get involved. It's no guarantee, but it helps a LOT.

chonak

Thinking about Pope Benedict's example, I remember that he has moved to separate non-sacramental papal ceremonies from the Mass. This has been a reversal of the 1960s trend of embedding all sorts of rites into the Mass, even if they had previously been free-standing ceremonies.

Perhaps one day there will be some thought of making some of the RCIA stages distinct ceremonies.

bonniebede

lucky people to have even poor versions of this. i am preparing an adult who is also being prepared by the parish. After a few meetings where they did nothing, they
finally gave her some materials, a simple workbook designed for
12yr olds. thankfully she is a holy woman with a sense of humour. sadly, though for months she was not told when she would receive sacraments she was finally told it would be at the easter vigil. that was great, until they discoverd they also had a baby for baptism and now don't want to have an adult, so her initiation is deferred, till not sure
when. please pray for her and her priest.

teachermom24

Glad to hear of the rare good RCIA; I hadn't known they existed. My own was a joke (2001-2002). I became a Catholic in spite of RCIA, certainly not because of it. Good thing I knew the REAL Catholic Church was something different. RCIA, for me, was an obstacle and trial, run by a liberal nun with "guest speakers" who had no more to offer than, "Yes, I think there is a Holy Spirit. Any questions?" (I kid you not. This was the sum total of one entire RCIA "class.")

I believe the rites themselves, as I have seen them carried out and experienced, are "empty ceremony" mostly due to the weak Catholic identity of every parish I've been in. They could be good, I suppose, but think we'd be better offer just doing away with them. It would be better to truly renew the Catholic identity of the parish and forget the rites. Nothing would be lost, and a whole lot gained.

RCIA should prepare the individuals for a life of suffering, following Christ to the Cross. It shouldn't BE the path of suffering as it was for me, but, with honesty and integrity of the True Faith, welcome and embrace new members who are willing to forsake all to follow Christ, and give them at least some of the tools they will need for this path of suffering (like how to build a prayer and devotional life).

Kathy

gregp

I don't know what they are supposed to be "on the inside", so to speak, but from what I have observed in the two parishes I have seen them done at Mass, they were merely used as an opportunity for the DRE to have the candidates stand up and be applauded by the congregation. (with different readings).

ghmus7

The rites can be very good if done well...
However, there really is a
need for good music for the places in the rites where
It is proper.... I haven't seem much on this forum about this.
I have some things that I have used.

MaryAnn Carr Wilson

Agreed that there are good RCIA programs, and lame or otherwise heterodox ones.

About the rites themselves, I have seen them in several parishes (5-8?? over the years) and observed the awkwardness of people clearly not knowing what to do when. They are often directed by one person who sort of does know how they want people to move. The movements in or near the sanctuary seem to say,

"and now we take a minute from our usual program to display for your benefit some fantastic teachers and students in our program".

The rites themselves seem more "about us" than "about God". I'm not saying that the people involved in writing them or using them intend that at all. A careful reading of the rites is, I think, supposed to convey the work of God in people's lives via the sacraments of initiation, and the people coming into and being received by the community of Christ's Church.

But in the context of the Mass, it doesn't come across that way; the rites seem out of place.

It seems to me the rites might bear more fruit with the larger community, and be perceived as less awkward, were they to take place outside (perhaps just before) the Mass.

Adam Wood

I'm biased, because I grew up basically in the middle of the RCIA. My mother was (at various points) the Director of Religious Education, the Director of Sacramental Preparation, the Director of RCIA, etc...

My opinion is: The Rites are fantastic. Their implementation in most parishes, not so much.

canadash

Our parish does a great job and always has. By the time Easter Vigil comes along, the parish can recognize the new faithful, and the Vigil is an amazing night for them as they are received into the community of the Catholic Church.

Musicteacher56

I depends on what the priest wants. The rites themselves cannot be blamed if poorly instituted. But, it depends on whether or not the priest feels the mass should be interrupted to include these rites. From what I understand, anything outside of the Scrutinies is not called to be performed inside the mass. And those Scrutinies are during Lent just before the Easter Vigil. I've worked for both kinds of pastors: those who feel the sense of community should be instilled in the present congregation and in the catechumens and candidates, and those who feel those rites should be celebrated outside of mass. But, I have to say, from a community standpoint, Canadash's parish is very much like my old parish and the Vigil was largely attended by those who supported the candidates and catechumens through their entire year.

Kathy

Am I the only one who feels the whole RCIA conglomerate is a little pretentious?

CharlesW

No you are not. I think it is overdone. The RCIA people in my parish do an excellent job. No problem there. But the whole process is too involved, too long, and more theatrical than it needs to be. I don't believe the congregation actually understands what is going on in those public ceremonies.

Chris Garton-Zavesky

If you'll forgive my barging in....

Yesterday we had a baptism (EF) of a little baby. Since a fair portion of the lay faithful in attendance were homeschoolers who had not seen such a thing, Father thought it meet and right to explain the rite before it began. Among other observations, he noted that the exorcisms aren't so much prayers of petition as firm instructions: "Get out!". He explained the blessed salt. The rite takes place in 3 distinct places. When the rite began, making his pastoral decision, he prayed some of the prayers in English and in Latin.

Most of the people, cradle Catholics and converts alike, learned something valuable about the language of symbols. Father's explanation was neither wordy nor pretentious.

Here's the question I want someone to explain. What about a rite is constantly in flux? We don't have to make up the Mass to make it relevant. We don't have to make up some (allegedly) meaningful rites for admitting converts to the Church. We receive them. "or similar words" is, at least in our own day, a recipe for disaster.

Although I'm a convert, I managed to bypass most of the silliness of the RCIA process.

CharlesW

Out of all the things in the world that needed reforming at Vatican II, I will never understand why restoring the adult catechumenate was such a big deal to the bishops. Archaeologism? That was rampant in those days, so could be. I don't see that hordes are trying to get into the Church because of RCIA. I have to wonder how many would enter the Church if they were not put off by the process.

Chris Garton-Zavesky

Important note which I left out, but which Charles triggered by his post: RCIA is entirely optional for those converting to the Catholic faith from some other (allegedly) Christian body or ecclesial community -- i.e., one with a valid baptism.

Surely this is an example of an option which became (effectively) mandatory, but which is, rather, unnecessary.

CharlesW

CGZ, one of the ways they pull such folks into RCIA, is that most of them have never been confirmed. They do confirmation classes within RCIA and then confirm those folks at the Easter Vigil.

Maureen

It would help a lot if people running RCIA programs would read St. Cyril of Jerusalem. His RCIA program was fairly clear, but also included a lot of mystery and excitement about the Sacraments that candidates were about to receive. The mystagogy that new Christians received after the Sacraments is very evocative of what those rites were like, and they were awesome and mysterious, not lame and annoying.

Of course, we don't swear people to secrecy in RCIA anymore, but it's still good stuff overall!

Carl D

I've been involved with RCIA for many years, so I have a bias. I don't know what you mean by overdone, but I tend to think that it reinforces the true importance of what's being done. Most people show up for Mass and that's about it. Yet here we have an incredible change of lives, something truly amazing. It's worth recognizing.

Musicteacher56

Thank you for FINALLY saying what I've been feeling for a long, long time. The RCIA program IS too theatrical and WAY too pretentious. Twenty-eight years ago my husband went through RCIA. They met once a week during the 8:00 mass and all the rites were celebrated after the mass for the candidates and their families. It was very intimate and very beautiful. The candidates were not meant to feel like they were constantly on display "to be prayed over".

Carl--I do agree with you that the change of lives in people is worth recognizing, but, again, not in an ostentacious way. It's been my experience as DM in my parish, that many of these people have longed for this and they need to experience it in a deeply moving way. It's my opinion, that too much of what happens today is more for the congregation in general than for the candidates.

CharlesW

The ceremony doesn't always respect the privacy of the individual, for those who have reason to be concerned about that. I knew someone who was received into the Church privately. He was from a prominent family adamantly opposed to him becoming Catholic. The uproar a public ceremony would have generated would not have been in anyone's best interests.

CharlesW

Speaking of white elephants - lol - just how much weight has melo-Charles lost on that Weight Watchers program? Last news from him indicated some real success.

Andrew Motyka

Just for some inside information, I have it on good authority that RCIA is going to be looked at for revision. To what extent and on what timetable, I have no idea, but I know it is under discussion.

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