Fom the Easter Vigil Mass in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, April 2025. / Credit: John McElroy
CNA Staff, Jun 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
TherecentelectionofPopeLeoXIVhassparkednewinterestinCatholicism,withGoogledatashowingaspikeinsearcheson“howtobecomeCatholic”shortlyafterthedeathofPopeFrancisinApril.Meanwhile,acrossmanydioceses—andespeciallyamongyoungpeople—anecdotalreportsindicateanupswinginpeoplejoiningtheCatholicChurchinrecentyears.
WhiletheChurch’srequirementsincludesometerminologythatmaybeunfamiliar,theprocesshasitsrootsintheearlyChurch.Ifyou’relookingtobecomeCatholicin2025,here’saguideonwhatyoushouldknow—fromthestagesofspiritualpreparationtoimportanttermsandhistoricalbackgroundonwhatChristianinitiationhaslookedlikeoverthecenturies.
WhatisOCIA? TheOrderofChristianInitiationofAdultsor“OCIA”isthenormativewaytoreceiveformationandpreparetoentertheCatholicChurch.ThisprocesswaspreviouslyknownasRCIA,theRiteofChristianInitiationofAdults,untiltheU.S.bishopsrenameditin2021toreflectamoreaccu
