Rite
of passage
A
rite of passage is a ceremony that signifies the transition of a person from
one status of life to another. It is a means through which the society effect
translations in individuals' lives as they move through different social
identities. The rite of passage that this paper will discuss is the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), practiced with the Catholic Church. It
is the process through which the unbaptized people who are interested in
becoming Catholics, called catechumen, are baptized and allowed to partake in
Catholic Christian practices such as taking sacraments.
Separation
phase
This
is the phase where the catechumens are separated from their former colleagues
and get acquainted with the instructors, members of the catholic community and
their fellow catechumens. They hold sessions in the Catholic Church premises to
make inquiries and obtain answers about the catholic faith. The phase provides
a forum for the Catholics and those seeking to join the faith become
comfortable with each other (Catholic Church, 1974) . This portion of your
ritual fits the criteria for the separation phase because it takes the mind of
the participants away from their familiar friends, groups and ways of doing
things. Since they have not been initiated into the catholic practices after
breaking off from their former practices, they are at a loss of identity.
Transition
phase
This
phase is known as the Catechumenate. It is a period in which the catechumens
undergo a formal training on the practices of the catholic faith. Some of the
teachings focus on the teachings of Jesus, the sacraments, and the Catholic
Church. The Catechumens are assigned a mentor to help them in the journey of
faith. They are partly involved in the Holy Mass, which is a celebration that
takes place every Sunday. They do not participate in the Sacrament of the Holy
Eucharist. The portion fits in the transition stage because it entails learning
of the Catholic faith. The participants have neither their old identity nor
acquired the new identity.
Incorporation
Phase
The
phase takes occurs during the Lenten Season's forty days. During these times,
believers express their repentance through fasting, sacrifices, prayer and
charity to the underprivileged. The catechumens at this stage are called elects.
The instructors introduce them to prayers and baptize them. The elects receive
initiation sacraments and can partake in the sacrament of confession.
The
phase ends with the instructors introducing the new believers to parish
ministries. They become active participants in the parish life. This portion
fits in the incorporation phase because the initiates have gained a new
identity, are equipped with values of the Catholic faith, and can practice what
they have learned.
The
RCIA is a rite of passage that transforms a non-believer without the knowledge
of Catholic faith to a believer with full knowledge of the Catholic faith and
acceptable to partake in its practices.
References
.
Catholic Church. (1974).
Rite of Christian initiation of adults: Provisional text. Washington: Publications Office, United States
Catholic Conference
The Essence of
Anthropology, 3rd addition by Haviland, Prins, Walrath & Mcbride
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