A reader sends in an e-mail from someone who says:
My friend has some questions about baptizing his
new baby girl. He wants to know can you have
your baby baptized at a Catholic church if:
- Dad is a lapsed Catholic
- Mom is a lapsed Presbyterian
- The parents don’t belong to a local church
- The parents want to get his baby baptized at a Catholic
church on vacation in OregonI think my friend is at a cross-roads in his faith and I’m
trying to encourage him to get back to his Catholic
roots. What do you think??
Okay! Let’s whip out our little friend, the Code of Canon Law. It provides:
Can. 868 ยง1. For an infant to be baptized licitly:
1/ the parents or at least one of them or the person
who legitimately takes their place must consent;2/ there must be a founded hope that the infant will
be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the
baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after
the parents have been advised about the reason [SOURCE].
As you can see, there is nothing in the requirements that, strictly speaking, rejects any of the four things in the fact pattern named by the e-mailer.
The fact that neither of the parents is an active Catholic at the moment is not per se an obstacle since what is strictly speaking required is their consent, not their own religious status.
HOWEVER, there is also the requirement of a founded hope (not a pie-in-the-sky hope) that the child will be raised as a Catholic, and this is where we run into a problem. Parishes will definitely want to know how founded the hope is of the child being raised Catholic if neither of the parents are practicing Catholics. Will they take the child to Mass? How do we know this if neither of them goes to Mass? Will they make sure that the child is catechized in the faith? Will they make sure that the child is confirmed and makes her first confession and first Communion at the proper times? If they’re both completely disconnected from parish life, how are they going to fulfill these responsibilities? Will they even know when it’s time for them? What will the practical arrangements be for fulfilling them? Just how strong is their commitment on these points?
As a result, though there is no absolute requirement that one of the parents be Catholic, the fact that neither is an active Catholic is likely to pose a practical barrier to their providing the kind of founded hope that the parish needs for the child’s Catholic rearing.
The logical solution is for the parents to examine their hearts and recommit themselves to the practice of the Christian faith. In particular, the husband should take the child’s need for baptism as a sign that God is calling him back to his faith. He should go to confession and resume life as an active Catholic. It would also be ideal if the wife were to investigate the possibility of becoming Catholic, primarily for her own sake but also to present the child with parents who are united in faith.
I hope they’ll giv prayerful consideration to these things.
As to getting the child baptized while on vacation. I assume that the reason they wish to do this is because they will be vacationing near family and it would make it easier for family members to attend the baptism. (There may be "destination weddings" these days, but I’ve never heard of a "destination baptism," so I assume that family is the reason.)
Again, strictly speaking there is no prohibition on this. However, there may be practical obstacles. Normally baptisms are performed in the parish to which the parents (or the Catholic parent) belongs. There are also typically preliminary sessions that the parents need to attend to help them understand and prepare for the event of baptism.
All I can recommend is that the parents explain the situation and ask what kind of arrangement may be possible. I don’t know that there is one, but then the most important thing is that the child get baptized, not where this occurs or who can more easily attend. The baptism is for the sake of the child, not anybody else, so the parents should be flexible on this point if no solution emerges that would allow the baptism to take place where and when they would like.
Hope this helps, and God bless!
Let’s pray that God will shower his blessings on the child and her family!
20
Something about the “founded hope” requirement doesn’t sit right with me. The grace a child needs and receives at baptism shouldn’t hinge on something external to that need–in this case, a parents’ promises. No, that doesn’t sit right with me at all.
Hello Mr. Akin:
My husband and I are sponsers for my husbands cousins daughter.
We went to our parish and were told that we would not be able to sponser the child because we are not married through the church, we were married in City Hall.
My husbands cousin is also not married. What do we do?
I also have not done my communion or confirmation.
Thanking you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.
Gina
Can I have my baby baptised in a catholic church, even though my BF and I are not married?
I was baptised catholic when I was a year old, it was in 1968. I am trying to get married at a baptist church and they require baptism by emersion. Does the catholic faith do baptisms this way.
You all should email Jimmy directly since he probably will not read comments posted on old threads. I must warn you though you likely won’t get a response. I personally never have when I have sent an email, and Jimmy has done very little blogging for the last month or so.
I would recommend visiting the EWTN website and asking questions on their Q&A forums, or better yet just find a good priest.
If I can take an amature shot at the last question (I doubt the earlier two would ever read this)…
The Catholic Church sometimes does baptism by immersion, but a pouring or even sprinkling of water on the head is more common, and perhaps universal for infants. So no, you probably weren’t baptized by immersion.
I must point out that if Catholic you are required to get your marriage at least convalidated by the Church if it is to be valid. Also you may not be rebaptized, as this would essentially be denying the validity of your true baptism.