SECTION I SACRAMENTS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Priests, deacons and pastoral ministers of the Diocese of Rockville Centre serve parishes and institutions through sacramental ministries. The following sections of the Pastoral Manual are offered to assist them in serving the faithful. They are a general guide and are not meant to be exhaustive in nature. The disciplines of the universal Church and the specific policies of the Diocese of Rockville Centre are summarized below. Note that this section is preceded by a table of contents. The general index at the end of the Pastoral Manual may also be helpful. For a more complete treatment of these sacraments, reference should be made to the 1983 Code of Canon Law which contains legislation for the universal Church; the rite for each sacrament also explains the details of sacramental celebration. Diocesan policies and procedures are coordinated by the Chancellor’s Office. Often parishes have their own sacramental policies which assist Church ministers in serving their parishioners. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. SACRAMENTS: INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 A. CATECHESIS AND PREPARATION: READINESS FOR THE SACRAMENTS .................................................7 B. VALIDITY AND LAWFULNESS.............................................................................................................7 C. OFFERINGS: GENERAL PRINCIPLES ....................................................................................................8 II. READINESS FOR THE SACRAMENTS GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION AND CATECHESIS ..............................................................................................................................................10 A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................10 B. PRINCIPLES FOR SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION ...............................................................................11 C. SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION ...........................................................................................................14 D. CONFIRMATION ...............................................................................................................................18 E. EUCHARIST ......................................................................................................................................25 F. PENANCE .........................................................................................................................................32 G. FIRST PENANCE AND FIRST EUCHARIST...........................................................................................36 H. ANOINTING OF THE SICK..................................................................................................................40 I. MARRIAGE.......................................................................................................................................43 Sacraments III. BAPTISM AND RCIA: GENERAL NORMS.................................................................................49 A. FULL INITIATION..............................................................................................................................49 B. VALIDITY.........................................................................................................................................49 C. RITE OF BAPTISM.............................................................................................................................49 D. MINISTER.........................................................................................................................................50 E. WATER ............................................................................................................................................50 F. BAPTISMAL NAME ...........................................................................................................................50 G. DAY.................................................................................................................................................51 H. PARISH CHURCH AT THE FONT.........................................................................................................51 I. PROOF OF BAPTISM..........................................................................................................................52 J. BAPTISM IN HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES..................................................................52 K. “SUPPLYING CEREMONIES” .............................................................................................................53 L. INFANTS AND ADULTS .....................................................................................................................54 IV. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) ........................................................57 A. SOURCES..........................................................................................................................................57 B. PRE-INITIATION INVENTORY............................................................................................................57 C. INFANTS AND ADULTS .....................................................................................................................57 D. TYPES OF PERSONS IN THE RCIA PROCESS......................................................................................58 E. INQUIRY OR PRE-CATECHUMENATE ................................................................................................62 F. ACCEPTANCE INTO THE CATECHUMENATE OR CANDIDACY FOR FULL COMMUNION.......................63 G. RIGHTS OF THE CATECHUMEN .........................................................................................................64 H. PERIOD OF CATECHESIS ...................................................................................................................64 I. ELECTION TO THE EASTER SACRAMENTS ........................................................................................65 J. PERIOD OF ENLIGHTENMENT ...........................................................................................................66 K. CELEBRATION OF THE EASTER SACRAMENTS ..................................................................................66 L. MEMBERS OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND RCIA............................................................................69 M. RECORD-KEEPING ............................................................................................................................70 V. INFANT BAPTISM ...........................................................................................................................73 A. DEFINITION......................................................................................................................................73 B. ROLE OF THE PARENTS AND SPONSORS ............................................................................................73 C. MINISTER.........................................................................................................................................74 D. REQUIREMENT: FOUNDED HOPE......................................................................................................74 E. CATECHESIS.....................................................................................................................................75 F. TIME ................................................................................................................................................75 G. BAPTISMAL NAME............................................................................................................................75 H. SPECIAL SITUATIONS........................................................................................................................75 I. ADOPTION........................................................................................................................................76 J. CHANGES IN THE BAPTISMAL REGISTER ..........................................................................................77 K. OTHER NOTES ON BAPTISM .............................................................................................................78 VI. SPONSORS: RCIA, INFANT BAPTISM, AND CONFIRMATION............................................79 A. NUMBER ..........................................................................................................................................79 B. REQUIREMENTS ...............................................................................................................................80 C. CHRISTIAN WITNESS - BAPTIZED NON-CATHOLIC WITH CATHOLIC SPONSOR ..................................80 D. CANON 874, §1:...............................................................................................................................81 E. SPECIAL QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................81 VII. EUCHARIST.................................................................................................................................84 Pastoral Manual, 1997 edition Page 2 Sacraments A. EUCHARIST AND THE PRESBYTER ....................................................................................................84 B. MASS INTENTIONS ...........................................................................................................................85