A man in our parish is a convert who was baptized in another religion and finished his Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults classes two years ago. Our pastor had him go to his first confession and then receive his first Communion the following day. But he had to wait several months for confirmation and was allowed to do this with our teens when the bishop can. How can someone who was not baptized or confirmed in the Faith receive Communion? And why could the priest not confirm him?

Name withheld

Fr. Rocky:  Any person who believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ and is baptized with water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is validly baptized and never has to be baptized again, even if he was not baptized in the Catholic Church. In ordinary circumstances, for a validly baptized non-Catholic to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church:  First, he would have to be “received” into the Catholic Church by reciting the Apostle’s Creed in the presence of an official witness, usually the pastor. Then he would need to make his first confession, and then he could receive the Holy Eucharist.

Nobody needs to be confirmed before receiving Communion. In certain circumstances, the local pastor can confirm a member of the faithful and this would be the case when he “baptizes one who is no longer an infant or admits a person already baptized into full communion with the Catholic Church” (Canon 883). I don’t know why the priest did not confirm him in this case, but perhaps this bishop wants to do all the confirmations in his diocese.