I have noticed that Catholics have a tendency to over-explain things with too much information up front. (I’ve been guilty of that myself.) So, in an effort to counterbalance that, this is intended to be the shortest, yet most concise, “how to” guide on the Internet for becoming Catholic. The following is a step-by-step guide to the process. It’s fairly easy. Simply follow these steps, in the order outlined below, and in a very short amount of time you will be a Catholic Christian. Here they are…
- Wherever you are right now, whatever you’re doing, stop and recite this simple prayer. “O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy, Catholic Church teaches, because in revealing them you can neither deceive nor be deceived.” This prayer is called the Act of Faith, and when you pray it, you are now spiritually initiated into the Catholic Faith. Your journey to full reception as a Catholic has just begun.
- Call a priest and set up a meeting. The best way to plot your course now is to simply talk to a Catholic priest. He can guide you in your next steps. The priest might have you attend a simple religion class, or he might educate you himself. Either way, this will help answer questions and fill you in on what to expect in your life as a Catholic. To contact a priest, just call your nearest local Catholic parish. Here’s a quick link for that: USCCB: Find A Parish.
- Baptism, Confirmation or both? The Catholic Church officially recognizes all Trinitarian baptisms regardless of where and how they were administered. So for example, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Baptist and many other types of denominational baptisms are recognized as valid by the Catholic Church. So if you were already baptized as one of these, there is no need to repeat the process. All Trinitarian baptisms are considered “Catholic.” Talk to your priest about this for questions and details. If you’ve already been validly baptized in one of these other Christian traditions, then you will only require a Confession of Faith and Confirmation (anointing of the Holy Spirit) to begin receiving communion. If you have not been validly baptized, then you will need both the sacraments of baptism and confirmation before you can begin receiving communion.
That’s it. That’s how it’s done. And that’s pretty much all there is to it. You may have heard about some couples needing church annulments of previous marriages before becoming Catholic. Every situation is a little different in regard to this. Talk to your priest for questions and details.
Now, as a Catholic, you’ll need three basic items for your spiritual growth and health. They are…
- The Catholic Bible (I recommend the Great Adventure Study Bible: Revised Standard Version — Second Catholic Edition.)
- The Catechism (I recommend CREDO: Compendium of the Catholic Faith.)
- The Rosary (I recommend anything from Rugged Rosaries.)
Shane Schaetzel is an author of Catholic books and an Evangelical convert to the Catholic Church through Anglicanism. His articles have been featured on LifeSiteNews, The Remnant Newspaper, Forward in Christ, and Catholic Online. You can read Shane’s books at ShaneSchaetzel.Com
Real Clear Catholic 