— Why is the RCIA program so long (September to Easter Vigil) for someone who is not a ‘non-Christian’ and with so much Christian schooling already (Lutheran MS School - K-8)?
You should be able to enter into the Church without having to go through an RCIA program designed for catechists and the baptized who have not received any or only minimal instruction. Perhaps a private conference with the RCIA instructor and the parish priest would lead to a course of independent study which is more suited for you and your wife.
-Q.- Why is she considered a ‘convert’? She is still Christian, willing to accept a fuller understanding way of the church and way of practicing the Christian faith.
A. Actually she is not considered a convert. She is regarded as one who is entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. As a Lutheran she was a Christian who was not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church.
-Q- The Catholic Church does say we are married, but we have to apply for a “dispensation” and have another marriage ceremony. If the RCC accepts her baptism, why not our marriage (two baptized Christians who exchanged rings “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”)? This makes her feel like our wedding in 1998 “didn’t happen.”
A. I have never heard of this practice. If neither one of you has ever been married before and you were married in a Christian church you are considered as having a valid sacramental marriage. This is because the couple acts as the ministers of the sacrament in Catholic marriage and the priest serves as a witness. If one of ou was to remain Protestant than the marriage would need to be blessed in the Church. But with both of you being Catholic I do not think this is required. You should be able to receive the sacraments without any sort of dispensation.
-Q- She didn’t really know this one: Why do Lutherans only have 3 sacraments (baptism, holy communion and reconciliation), as opposed to 7 in the RCC?
A. Because Luther believed that the remaining 4 were not directly instituted by Christ but were later developments of the Church.
If neither partner was Roman Catholic, you would be correct. The dispensation has to to do with the Catholic partner's standing with the Church. The Catholic partner will given the dispensation. It will not given to the marriage. The marriage is valid, but the Catholic lost proper standing when the marriage was made.