Becoming a Catechumen

Becoming a catechumen is analogous to being betrothed before a marriage. In fact, there are many parallels between the making of a catechumen and the subsequent baptism, with the service of betrothal and the marriage service. And in the Orthodox Church, it should be understood that a betrothal already counts as a marriage. If a betrothal is broken, this requires an ecclesiastical divorce -- which is why we usually do the betrothal service immediately prior to the marriage service, in contemporary practice. In our culture, it is not uncommon for people to say that they are engaged to be married, and then to call it off, and move on without much ceremony. But a real betrothal is a far more serious thing than that.

Likewise, one should not become a catechumen in the first place, if they are not sure that they want to ultimately be baptized.

When anyone asks me about being made a catechumen, the first thing I do is have them review the renunciations and affirmations that converts from other faiths make. We incorporate these renunciations and affirmations in the service for the making of a catechumen. I asked people to review these renunciations and affirmations in advance, because I want them to be sure that they know what they are committing to.

Here are the renunciations that are made by most converts from Protestantism (though Lutheran converts have a slightly different renunciation with regard to the Lutheran understanding of the Eucharist):

Priest:  Dost thou renounce the false doctrine that, for the expression of the dogma touching the Procession of the Holy Spirit the declaration of our Savior Christ himself: 'who proceedeth from the Father': doth not suffice; and that the addition, of man's invention: 'and from the Son': is required?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Dost thou renounce the false doctrine, that the predestination of men to their salvation, or their rejection, is not in accordance with the Divine foreknowledge of the faith and good works of the former, or of the unbelief and evil deeds of the latter; but in accordance with some arbitrary destiny, by reason of which faith and virtue are robbed of their merit, and God is held accountable for the perdition of sinners?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief that in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist the bread and wine are not transmuted into the Body of Christ, and doth not become the Body and Blood of Christ, and are merely emblems of the Body and Blood of Christ?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief of the Reformed teachers who reject five Sacraments: Chrismation, Confession, Marriage, Anointing with Oil, and the Priesthood itself, which administereth the other Sacraments, and presume to administer Baptism and the Eucharist, never having received, through the laying-on of hands by a Bishop, that Ordination which hath been transmitted from one to another, even from the Apostles?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief of the Reformed teachers who receive not the traditions of the Holy Church reverence not the Saints, and deprive the dead of spiritual aid and the living of spiritual consolation, in that they reject prayers for the dead?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Hast thou renounced all ancient and modern heresies and false doctrines which are contrary to the teachings of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Church?

Answer: I have.

The specific renunciation regarding predestination is only done by those who come from a Reformed background, which pertains to their view of double predestination.

These are the renunciations that are made by converts from a Roman Catholic background:

Priest: Dost thou renounce the false doctrine that, for the expression of the dogma touching the Procession of the Holy Spirit the declaration of our Savior Christ himself: 'who proceedeth from the Father': doth not suffice; and that the addition, of man's invention: 'and from the Son': is required?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief that it doth not suffice to confess our Lord Jesus Christ as the head of the Universal Church; and that a man, to wit, the Bishop of Rome, can be the head of Christ’s Body, that is to say, of the whole Church?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief that the Holy Apostles did not receive from our Lord equal spiritual power, but that the holy Apostle Peter was their Prince: And that the Bishop of Rome alone is his successor: And that the Bishops of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and other are not, equally with the Bishop of Rome, successors of the Apostles?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou renounce the erroneous belief of those who think that the Pope of Rome is superior to the Ecumenical Councils, and infallible in faith, notwithstanding the fact that several of the Popes have been heretics, and condemned as such by the Councils?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou renounce all the other doctrines of the Western Confession, both old and new, which are contrary to the Word of God, and to the true traditions of the Church, and to the decrees of the seven Ecumenical Councils?

Answer: I do.

Priest:  Hast thou renounced all ancient and modern heresies and false doctrines which are contrary to the teachings of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Church?

Answer: I have.

There are also specific renunciations made by those coming from a Monophysite, Jewish, or Muslim background.

The affirmations are the same for all converts:

Priest: Dost thou accept the Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Canons framed and established at the Seven Holy Ecumenical and Provincial Councils, and the other traditions and ordinances of the Orthodox Church?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou acknowledge that the Holy Scriptures must be accepted and interpreted in accordance with the belief which hath been handed down by the Holy Fathers, and which the Holy Orthodox Church, our Mother, hath always held and still doth hold?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou believe and confess that there are seven Sacraments of the New Testament, to wit: Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist, Confession, the Priesthood, Marriage, and Anointing with Oil, instituted by the Lord Christ and his Church, to the end that, through their operation and reception, we may obtain blessings from on high?

Answer: I believe and confess it.

Priest: Dost thou believe and confess that in the Divine Liturgy, under the mystical forms of the holy bread and wine, the faithful partake of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto the remission of sins, and unto life eternal?

Answer: I believe and confess it.

Priest: Dost thou believe and confess that it is proper to reverence and invoke the Saints who reign on high with Christ; and that their prayers and intercessions before God avail with the beneficent God unto our salvation: and that it is well-pleasing in the sight of God that we should do homage to their relics, glorified through incorruption, as precious memorials of their virtue?

Answer: I believe and confess it.

Priest: Dost thou confess that the images of our Savior Christ; and of the Ever-virgin Mother of God, and of the other Saints are worthy of being possessed and honored; not unto idolatry, but that, through contemplation thereof, we may be incited unto piety, and unto emulation of the deeds of the holy persons represented by these images?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou confess that the prayers of the faithful which are offered up to God, and more especially when accompanied by the oblation of the unbloody sacrifice, for the salvation of those who have departed this life in the faith, are favorably received, through the mercy of God?

Answer: I do.

Priest: Dost thou believe and confess that power hath been given by our Savior Christ unto the Orthodox-Catholic Church to bind and to loose: and that whatsoever, by virtue of that power, is bound or loosed on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven?

Answer: I believe and confess it.

Priest: Dost thou believe and confess the Foundation, Head, and Great High Priest and Chief Shepherd of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Church is our Lord Jesus Christ; and that Bishops, Pastors, and Teachers are appointed by him to rule the Church; and that the Guide and Pilot of this Church is the Holy Spirit?

Answer: I believe and confess that this Church is the Bride of Christ, and that therein is true salvation, which was in the Ark of Noah at the Flood.

Priest: Dost thou promise true obedience, unto thy life’s end, in guidance which is salutary unto the soul, to the Most Holy Synod; to the Most Holy Patriarch, the Equal-of-the-Apostles (or to the Ecclesiastical Authorities of the Autocephalous Provincial Church); and to the Bishop of this Diocese, as the true Pastors appointed by the Holy Spirit; and to the Priests ordained by them?

Answer: I promise it, with heart unfeigned.

One thing a catechumen has to decide on is on a patron saint. Archbishop Peter, of blessed memory, had a directive that said that anyone who already has a Christian name needed to keep it. Often, there are many saints with the same name, and so one still has to decide on which saint they will choose. If someone doesn't have an obviously Christian name, they should speak to the priest because often there is a saint whose name has the same meaning as their name.

After one is made a catechumen, we have catechumen meetings via Google Meets, and also some face to face meetings to help prepare people for baptism. How long someone remains a catechumen varies, but it depends on how long they were studying Orthodoxy before they were formally made catechumens, and also depends on when both they and the priest agree that they are ready.

One of the great blessings of being a catechumen is that the Church has specific prayers that are said for them during the divine liturgy, and also during the presanctified liturgies during Great Lent.

One frequent question that catechumens often ask is whether or not they are supposed to leave the Church at the dismissal of the catechumens. This is not generally done in parishes, though some monasteries require it, and some parishes do have the catechumens leave the service, but then take them to an instructional class for catechumens. We, as of yet, do not do this, though we have discussed the idea, and may incorporate this practice if we can get a sufficient number of catechists committed to making this possible.

Before baptism, a person needs to decide on who their godparent will be. It is possible to have both a godmother, and godfather, but it is necessary to have at least one godparent who is of the same sex as the person being baptized.

Before a catechumen is actually baptized, they make a life confession, which should be discussed with the priest ahead of time, but basically consists of the catechumen confessing all of the types of sins that they have committed in their life, that they are able to remember.

We have an article that covers the practical things that a person being baptized needs to do to prepare for the actual service.