A young woman is baptized at the 2024 Easter vigil at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M. / Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center, Texas A&M

CNA Staff, May 23, 2025 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

The election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this month has — at least according to Google search data — led to a renewed interest in people searching for information on how to “become Catholic.”

This follows several years of anecdotal reports of a surge of people joining the Catholic Church, especially among young people, across many dioceses in numerous countries. 

The Catholic Church’s requirements to join may seem, at first, to be complicated. The process involves some important rites of initiation as well as spiritual preparation, fellowship with other Catholics and prospective Catholics, and instruction in the teachings of the faith. 

Here’s a guide to becoming Catholic in 2025. 

1) Are you baptized?

There are three sacraments in particular, known as the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” that a person must receive in order to come fully into communion with the Church that Christ founded, and baptism is always the first. (A sacrament is a visible sign of God’s grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to his Church; the Church has seven of them total.) 

The other two sacraments of initiation are the receiving of Christ’s body and blood via the Eucharist, also called holy Communion, and confirmation — whereby the Holy Spirit “confirms and strengthens baptismal grace” within a baptized Catholic. 

A simple baptisimal formula, drawn from Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19, is necessary for baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The celebrant pours water on the head of the baptized, or immerses him or her in water.

In the vast majority of cases, Catholic clergy — deacons, priests, or bishops — are responsible for baptisms. But technically anybody, even non-Christians, can baptize in an emergency — such as in cases where a prospective Christian, even an infant, is in imminent danger of death — as long as the correct formula and water are used. 

If you know for a fact that you’ve never been baptized before, go ahead and skip to item No. 2 below.

If you’ve been validly baptized as a Catholic at some point in your life, even as an infant, then technically you’re already Catholic. If you were baptized a long time ago at a Catholic church, that church likely still has a record of your baptism and can provide it to you if you ask. 

That said, if you’ve been baptized, confirmed, and made your first Communion but have drifted away from your Catholic faith, you can always return to full communion with the Church by going to the sacrament of confession, also called reconciliation or penance. And if you were baptized a long time ago but never received your first holy Communion or confirmation, you can do so after participation in a period of formation; talk to a priest to learn more if that’s your situation. 

If you’ve been baptized a Christian — but not a Catholic — that baptism is likely valid as long as it was done using the formula described above. But there’s more you must do before you’re fully in communion with the Catholic Church. 

2) Talk to a priest.

Contact a local Catholic parish — if you have Catholic friends, they can likely help you with this. The priest or parish leader of Christian initiation may want to meet with you to discuss your desire to become Catholic and help to guide you through the next steps of the process. 

3) Join OCIA.

The next step is to officially join OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. (This process was previously, for a long time, called RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, until a name change in 2021.) OCIA is the Church’s official process for initiating prospective Catholics into the Church who have attained the age of reason, generally around the age of 7. 

(Some individuals choose to arrange to have private instruction in the Catholic faith before formally entering the Church; however, the normative way to receive formation is through OCIA.)

The first step — if you are unbaptized — is entering the catechumenate; becoming known, thereafter, as a “catechumen.” Depending on where you are at in your faith journey, this stage can last for a period of several years, but usually less than one. You will ask someone who is a fully initiated Catholic who is 16 years old or older (among other requirements) to be your “sponsor” to help to guide you through the journey. 

It’s a unique time of learning and questioning that will involve taking classes, likely at your local parish, to learn more about the faith and reflect on how joining the Catholic Church will affect your life. Once you feel ready, the priest and parish team who are working with you may give you approval to make a request for baptism. 

If you are already a baptized Christian, however, this first step looks a little bit different. There’s a recognition that you’ve already given your life to Christ as a baptized Christian and may have been active in other Christian communities. You’ll become, instead of a catechumen, a “candidate.” 

You will likely go through a similar formation program to the catechumens, helping you understand and experience the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. (It’s worth noting here that while anyone can attend Mass and it’s definitely encouraged that you do so during this time, only Catholics in communion with the Church can receive the Eucharist, or holy Communion.)

The next stage before baptism, regardless of whether you’re a catechumen or a candidate, is called the “Rite of Election,” in which the catechumens and candidates gather with their sponsors and families, usually on the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is the Church’s special 40-day period of penance and preparation leading up to the joyful celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. 

During the Rite of Election ceremony, you will share your desire to be baptized with the local bishop. Your name is written in a book and as a committed catechumen or candidate, you and your compatriots become known as “the elect.” The days of Lent are, for the elect, known as the “Period of Purification and Enlightenment.” Catholics are encouraged to pray for the catechumens and candidates as they near the end of their journey. By this time you will have chosen who you would like to be your godparent or godparents.

At the Easter Vigil Mass, which takes place the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday, catechumens will receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist, thereby coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. 

Candidates, having already been baptized, will make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church when they are ready to do so and will preferably be received into the Church on a Sunday during the year.

Before that, however, candidates will be required to go to the sacrament of confession and are encouraged to do so frequently during their formation. (Baptism wipes away all sins committed prior, so catechumens do not need to do this.)

After being received into the Church, newly initiated Catholics continue to be formed in their faith during what the Church calls the “Period of Mystagogy.” This lasts until Pentecost, the feast 50 days after Easter in which we celebrate the birth of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples.

Welcome home to the Catholic Church!

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on faith in the risen Christ is fundamental for the Church, particularly in Europe, Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said.  

In an interview with ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, the archbishop emeritus of Genoa and former president of the Italian Episcopal Conference said Pope Leo’s first public address after his May 8 election was an invitation for Catholics to deepen their faith in the centrality of Jesus Christ.

“The pope began [his pontificate] with ‘peace be with you’ and immediately continued ‘it is the peace of the risen Christ,’” Bagnasco told ACI Stampa’s Marco Mancini. “The two things must not be separated because the message of the Holy Father would be distorted.”  

“Peace comes from the risen Christ to the extent that we allow ourselves to be embraced by him,” he continued. “If we forget this centrality, we forget the foundation of all foundations, that is, Jesus.”

According to Bagnasco, the inclusion of Church Fathers’ writings in several of Leo XIV’s homilies and public addresses so far should not go unnoticed, including “one of the most significant expressions of St. Augustine: ‘We were made for you and our heart is restless until it rests in you.’”

Lamenting the rise of secularization eroding the faith of individuals and societies, the 82-year-old Italian cardinal said Europe is in great need of heeding Pope Leo’s message to rediscover its identity and faith in “the face of God who is Christ.”

“Unfortunately, it is a reality not of today but of decades, as we know,” Bagnasco told Mancini. “It seems that the European continent is forgetting its origins and this fact is not positive for Europe because it means forgetting its own face.”

“It is forgetting that the meeting between Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome took place here in Europe,” he said.

Though Bagnasco was unable to participate in the May 7–8 conclave that elected Leo XIV due to his age, he participated in the 12 general congregation meetings to discuss the state of the Church and discern the qualities the pope would need to lead Catholics worldwide. 

“What we always expect from the pope and what the entire Catholic world — but not only — expects is to be the point of reference, the confirmation of faith,” he said in the interview. “The mission that Christ gave to Peter is to announce on the rooftops a strong, clear, explicit faith and the evangelical charity that derives from it.”

On the continuity of the history of the Church and the popes, Bagnasco said Pope Leo XIV succeeds pontiffs who, with their own vision and qualities, have sought to lead the Church and confirm the faith of Catholics in a world troubled by various challenges.

“John Paul II with the disruptive force of his personality [led the Church] and before him Paul VI with the great event of the [Second Vatican] Council,” he told Mancini. “Benedict XVI was the great master in the face of modernity that is forgetting God and with God forgetting man.”

He continued: “And then Francis was attentive to the challenges of the time with the ongoing wars and other problems such as the relationship with nature and the people who move from one continent to another in search of a better life,” he said.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on faith in the risen Christ is fundamental for the Church, particularly in Europe, Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said.  

In an interview with ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, the archbishop emeritus of Genoa and former president of the Italian Episcopal Conference said Pope Leo’s first public address after his May 8 election was an invitation for Catholics to deepen their faith in the centrality of Jesus Christ.

“The pope began [his pontificate] with ‘peace be with you’ and immediately continued ‘it is the peace of the risen Christ,’” Bagnasco told ACI Stampa’s Marco Mancini. “The two things must not be separated because the message of the Holy Father would be distorted.”  

“Peace comes from the risen Christ to the extent that we allow ourselves to be embraced by him,” he continued. “If we forget this centrality, we forget the foundation of all foundations, that is, Jesus.”

According to Bagnasco, the inclusion of Church Fathers’ writings in several of Leo XIV’s homilies and public addresses so far should not go unnoticed, including “one of the most significant expressions of St. Augustine: ‘We were made for you and our heart is restless until it rests in you.’”

Lamenting the rise of secularization eroding the faith of individuals and societies, the 82-year-old Italian cardinal said Europe is in great need of heeding Pope Leo’s message to rediscover its identity and faith in “the face of God who is Christ.”

“Unfortunately, it is a reality not of today but of decades, as we know,” Bagnasco told Mancini. “It seems that the European continent is forgetting its origins and this fact is not positive for Europe because it means forgetting its own face.”

“It is forgetting that the meeting between Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome took place here in Europe,” he said.

Though Bagnasco was unable to participate in the May 7–8 conclave that elected Leo XIV due to his age, he participated in the 12 general congregation meetings to discuss the state of the Church and discern the qualities the pope would need to lead Catholics worldwide. 

“What we always expect from the pope and what the entire Catholic world — but not only — expects is to be the point of reference, the confirmation of faith,” he said in the interview. “The mission that Christ gave to Peter is to announce on the rooftops a strong, clear, explicit faith and the evangelical charity that derives from it.”

On the continuity of the history of the Church and the popes, Bagnasco said Pope Leo XIV succeeds pontiffs who, with their own vision and qualities, have sought to lead the Church and confirm the faith of Catholics in a world troubled by various challenges.

“John Paul II with the disruptive force of his personality [led the Church] and before him Paul VI with the great event of the [Second Vatican] Council,” he told Mancini. “Benedict XVI was the great master in the face of modernity that is forgetting God and with God forgetting man.”

He continued: “And then Francis was attentive to the challenges of the time with the ongoing wars and other problems such as the relationship with nature and the people who move from one continent to another in search of a better life,” he said.

The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

The leadership of the European bishops’ conference said Pope Leo XIV did not speak as much as he was “welcoming, available, and ready to listen” to their concerns during a meeting at the Vatican on Friday morning. 

The Russia-Ukraine war and the need to avoid rearmament in Europe was one of the central topics of the private meeting, according to Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), who spoke during a press conference after the audience, as was reported by SIR news agency. 

“The pope interacted with a certain immediacy, showing great concern that rearmament could have repercussions in terms of reducing social commitments for the weaker sections of society and shifting capital to arms,” the Italian bishop said.

COMECE Vice President Bishop Antoine Hérouard said their discussions emphasized ”the importance of working for a just peace, finding the right balance between peace and justice,” and the social and economic consequences if European countries give more funding to arms.

Other topics raised during what Crociata described as a “cordial and serene” meeting between the EU bishops and Pope Leo were the presence of populist movements in conflict with the values of the European Union and Europe’s demographic decline, which reinforces the continent’s need for migrants. 

The European bishops said they also raised concerns about the phenomenon of people asking to have their personal information removed from Church baptismal records. They stressed the need for European data protection legislation to respect religious freedom and the right and duty of parents to raise and educate their children. 

The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

The leadership of the European bishops’ conference said Pope Leo XIV did not speak as much as he was “welcoming, available, and ready to listen” to their concerns during a meeting at the Vatican on Friday morning. 

The Russia-Ukraine war and the need to avoid rearmament in Europe was one of the central topics of the private meeting, according to Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), who spoke during a press conference after the audience, as was reported by SIR news agency. 

“The pope interacted with a certain immediacy, showing great concern that rearmament could have repercussions in terms of reducing social commitments for the weaker sections of society and shifting capital to arms,” the Italian bishop said.

COMECE Vice President Bishop Antoine Hérouard said their discussions emphasized ”the importance of working for a just peace, finding the right balance between peace and justice,” and the social and economic consequences if European countries give more funding to arms.

Other topics raised during what Crociata described as a “cordial and serene” meeting between the EU bishops and Pope Leo were the presence of populist movements in conflict with the values of the European Union and Europe’s demographic decline, which reinforces the continent’s need for migrants. 

The European bishops said they also raised concerns about the phenomenon of people asking to have their personal information removed from Church baptismal records. They stressed the need for European data protection legislation to respect religious freedom and the right and duty of parents to raise and educate their children. 

Cardinal William Goh, the archbishop of Singapore. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

CNA Deutsch, May 23, 2025 / 11:55 am (CNA).

In an interview with the Daily Compass portal on Thursday, Cardinal William Goh, the archbishop of Singapore, said he hopes for greater doctrinal clarity from Pope Leo XIV. 

“If we are not clear about what the Church teaches, it is very difficult to work together in unity. Although both the so-called ‘left’ and ‘right’ of the Church are interested in promoting the mission of evangelization, there has been an internal division on certain issues such as marriage, LGBTQ+ rights, and transgender rights. These issues have divided the Church because, at a certain point, it became unclear what is right.”

The cardinal said that as an Augustinian, Pope Leo has “a solid foundation in the tradition and spirituality of St. Augustine.”

“At the same time,” Goh, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022, said that Pope Leo “has worked in Peru and is familiar with situations of poverty and suffering. He also spent several years in Rome and is therefore familiar with the challenges facing the Curia. Having been prior general of his order, he has already demonstrated his leadership qualities. In his first public appearances, he was sober and cautious in what he said and did.”

He continued: “He seems to me to be a man who is aware that a pope’s statements are taken seriously, which is why he is cautious and prudent. This is to be welcomed because it means people won’t be confused. I believe he will be able to clarify doctrine and prevent the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ from fighting each other. He will not be ambiguous and will not leave the interpretation of his words open to individual interpretation.”

According to the website, Goh said about Pope Francis: “I believe that the least pleasant aspect of his pontificate was that his teachings appeared ambiguous in his attempt to reach everyone in terms of doctrine and morality.”  

Goh also addressed the issue of the traditional liturgy. 

“I personally believe there is no reason to discourage people who prefer the Tridentine Mass,” the cardinal said. “They are not doing anything wrong or sinful. Of course, the unity of the Church must be preserved, but we already have different rites, such as the Syro-Malabar rite. We can accept different forms of celebrating the Eucharist, so we should not suppress those who prefer the Tridentine rite.”

Ultimately, he said, “it is not the rite or the form of celebration that matters” but rather “whether one encounters God deeply.”

Goh said he does not celebrate in the traditional form, “but I’m not against those who celebrate it. In my country, there’s a small group of about 300 people, mostly young professionals. Sometimes I ask them, ‘Why do you prefer this celebration?’ They reply that they find it more thoughtful and contemplative and that it brings them closer to God. Why should I discourage them?”

He continued: “If they reject the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, that would of course be a completely different matter, and they should be disciplined. But they don’t, and therefore I don’t think we should discriminate against them. After all, this is the Mass that has been celebrated for hundreds of years, isn’t it?”

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-langauage news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Cardinal William Goh, the archbishop of Singapore. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

CNA Deutsch, May 23, 2025 / 11:55 am (CNA).

In an interview with the Daily Compass portal on Thursday, Cardinal William Goh, the archbishop of Singapore, said he hopes for greater doctrinal clarity from Pope Leo XIV. 

“If we are not clear about what the Church teaches, it is very difficult to work together in unity. Although both the so-called ‘left’ and ‘right’ of the Church are interested in promoting the mission of evangelization, there has been an internal division on certain issues such as marriage, LGBTQ+ rights, and transgender rights. These issues have divided the Church because, at a certain point, it became unclear what is right.”

The cardinal said that as an Augustinian, Pope Leo has “a solid foundation in the tradition and spirituality of St. Augustine.”

“At the same time,” Goh, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022, said that Pope Leo “has worked in Peru and is familiar with situations of poverty and suffering. He also spent several years in Rome and is therefore familiar with the challenges facing the Curia. Having been prior general of his order, he has already demonstrated his leadership qualities. In his first public appearances, he was sober and cautious in what he said and did.”

He continued: “He seems to me to be a man who is aware that a pope’s statements are taken seriously, which is why he is cautious and prudent. This is to be welcomed because it means people won’t be confused. I believe he will be able to clarify doctrine and prevent the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ from fighting each other. He will not be ambiguous and will not leave the interpretation of his words open to individual interpretation.”

According to the website, Goh said about Pope Francis: “I believe that the least pleasant aspect of his pontificate was that his teachings appeared ambiguous in his attempt to reach everyone in terms of doctrine and morality.”  

Goh also addressed the issue of the traditional liturgy. 

“I personally believe there is no reason to discourage people who prefer the Tridentine Mass,” the cardinal said. “They are not doing anything wrong or sinful. Of course, the unity of the Church must be preserved, but we already have different rites, such as the Syro-Malabar rite. We can accept different forms of celebrating the Eucharist, so we should not suppress those who prefer the Tridentine rite.”

Ultimately, he said, “it is not the rite or the form of celebration that matters” but rather “whether one encounters God deeply.”

Goh said he does not celebrate in the traditional form, “but I’m not against those who celebrate it. In my country, there’s a small group of about 300 people, mostly young professionals. Sometimes I ask them, ‘Why do you prefer this celebration?’ They reply that they find it more thoughtful and contemplative and that it brings them closer to God. Why should I discourage them?”

He continued: “If they reject the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, that would of course be a completely different matter, and they should be disciplined. But they don’t, and therefore I don’t think we should discriminate against them. After all, this is the Mass that has been celebrated for hundreds of years, isn’t it?”

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-langauage news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Pope Leo XIV smiles during his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square on May 21, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, May 23, 2025 / 09:14 am (CNA).

Follow our live coverage as Pope Leo XIV, first U.S.-born pope in history, begins his pontificate: Experience history in the making with former Cardinal Robert Prevost.