Q. I am wondering about how to facilitate a first confession experience for the elect. There are no rites that I can find or any materials for planning. How can I make sure our new Catholics experience this healing sacrament?
Our elect this year did do a weekly examination of conscience during the scrutinies, but we don’t do anything as part the program before it wraps up at Pentecost.
What are the guidelines for this?
A. Thanks for your question. The elect would not celebrate the sacrament of penance. They cannot celebrate any of the sacraments until after their initiation. The penitential ritual for the elect is the three scrutiny rites during the period of purification and enlightenment.
Considering baptismal status
For new Catholics, when they celebrate the sacrament of penance would depend upon their baptismal status during their preparation. For the baptized candidates who are seeking to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church, they would normally celebrate the sacrament of penance sometime before their reception into full communion. The rite is the same rite all Catholics celebrate when we go to confession. Most parishes have a communal reconciliation service during Advent, Lent, and sometimes other times. These would be appropriate occasions for baptized candidates to celebrate the sacrament of penance.
For neophytes who were initiated at the Easter Vigil, they will have just celebrated baptism. Baptism is the fundamental sacrament of reconciliation and washes away all sin. It is difficult to imagine that the newly baptized, having just been cleansed of all sin, will be in need of the sacrament of penance immediately after their baptism.
Baptism is the fundamental sacrament of reconciliation and washes away all sin. It is difficult to imagine that the newly baptized, having just been cleansed of all sin, will be in need of the sacrament of penance immediately after their baptism.
Penance as spiritual practice
Many Catholics who are not conscious of serious sin nevertheless frequently and regularly celebrate the sacrament of penance. This is a worthy devotion, which is encouraged by the church and which the neophytes will have (or should have) learned about during their catechumenate training. If any of your neophytes wish to celebrate the sacrament of penance as a spiritual practice, you can simply ask their godparents or one of your team members to accompany the neophyte to one of the regularly scheduled times in your parish when the sacrament is celebrated. There is no particular rite for the neophytes. It is the same rite that all Catholics celebrate.
Some, maybe most, of the neophytes will likely not feel a need or desire to celebrate the sacrament of penance on a frequent basis. For them, they will have (or should have) learned during their catechumenate training the precept that we are to confess our sins at least once a year. The regular penitential seasons of the church—Advent and Lent—would be appropriate times to do this, particularly at a parish-wide reconciliation liturgy. The neophytes’ godparents should accompany them to the liturgy and guide them if necessary.
Of course, any neophyte who is at any time conscious of serious sin should seek out the sacrament of penance as soon as possible. Hopefully, the occasion of serious sin will be a rare occurrence.
Here are a couple of articles that cover the sacrament of penance and living a penitential life. Thanks for all your good work in this ministry.
Teach catechumens the real meaning of penance
A simple history of reconciliation for RCIA catechists
Do you have a question?
If you have a question about this topic or anything else concerning catechumenate ministry, just add it to the comments section below!
Hello Diane and Nick,
While I understand that Baptism ‘prepares us ‘ for the other sacraments, and we teach that as well, still, catechumens ask for the sacrament of reconciliation
before they are baptized. They want to actively take responsibility for their past.
They want a CONSCIOUS, concrete way to declare to God and to the church and themselves, their awareness of their faults and their willingness to accept Grace in order to change behaviors in their lives. One said they want to prepare to be open to the waters of Baptism. I remember one, right after being Baptised, said now can I go and confess?
I am interested in your response.
Hi Louise,
Thanks for your comment. My name is John Michael and I assist Nick and Diana with various inquiries.
Right off the bat, I empathize with what you are saying. I have journeyed with seekers who desire to ‘feel something’ with the sacraments, in particular with the Sacrament of Reconciliation because as you state their desire of wanting a ‘conscious” effort on their part. It is a challenge to say the contrary to the seekers desires for the sacrament(s), because 1) not many baptized take up the opportunity and 2) who are we to prevent God’s mercy from seekers.? Yet, I always stress what the General Introduction to the RCIA says, “Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people. This first sacrament pardons all our sins, rescues us from the power of darkness…” (RCIA, 2; xiv, emphasis added)
Part of the RCIA is the Period of Purification and Enlightenment which has at the heart of it in rituals, the Scrutinies. This period is intended to purify the minds and hearts of the elect as they search their own consciousness and do penance” (RCIA 138). This is where you, during this period, you need to stress how this is a not only a time of preparation but also of heart searching (cf. RCIA 142). During this period, you can and should stress the importance of these rites which are for “self-searching and repentance and a spiritual purpose” (RCIA 141)
So spiritually prepare the elect as best as you can, celebrate the rites well and fully, and reflect on them afterwards with no fear or judgement. Hopefully, the elect will see where they are and look towards being baptized as the opportunity to pardon sin. It is during the scrutinies that they can actively take responsibility for their past using the gospel of the Sunday as a lens. And then, from what you hear, craft the intercessions and/or litanies (cf. RCIA 153) in such a way that they will hear and pray from what they spiritually reflected on – those things that need to be healed and strengthened; this has truly helped the Elect come to understand the scrutinies as they experience them as a means of strengthening all that is good.
If grievances do emerge and the Elect continues to feel remorse, this is where the opportunity to have spiritual conversations that deal with hope and new life and peace. Further, conversations of this kind can also help with folks who tend to be scrupulous about sins, etc..
Perhaps this is a tangent, but celebrating the anointing of catechumens might be a good idea (RCIA 98…). Yet, this should have been celebrated – as often as needed – during the catechumenate.
So in the end, it is praiseworthy that catechumens desire to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation because we have this gift from God that allows us to experience God’s mercy. But the Church also has this gift in the RCIA which helps us support those on the journey of conversation, in particular through the Scrutinies.
I hope this helps, and please let us know if you have any questions.