A reader writes:
My wife and I are expecting our third child in mid-August. Our parish does infant baptisms on the
second Sunday of September. We were hoping to have the baby baptised then. Unfortunately, my
sister-in-law (the godmother) cannot make it that day. My wife and I are having a hard time
determining if it would be contrary to our parental obligation to baptize our child if we wait an
additional month to do the baptism so that the godmother can be present. Thank you!
Here is what the Code of Canon Law says:
Can. 867 §1. Parents are obliged to take care that
infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the
birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament
for their child and to be prepared properly for it.§2. An infant in danger of death is to be baptized
without delay.
It would seem to me that you’re talking about the difference between baptizing the child either approximately 4 weeks after baptism or approximately 8-9 weeks after baptism.
Canonically speaking, it seems to me that either of these could plausibly be claimed to be within "the first few weeks." There is no set number for a "few"; if the Church had wanted to set a number, it could have, but anything in the single digits is certainly a plausible contender.
It therefore seems to me that, as long as your baby is not in danger of death, you would be fulfilling your canonical obligations regarding the child.
Should the child be in danger of death, an immediate baptism–even by you at home–would be required.
Other options here would include:
- Asking the parish to do the baptism at another, sooner time when the godmother can be there and
- Doing the baptism in September but having someone stand in as a proxy for the godmother.
Hope this helps!
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