Baptism
Baptism is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. There are Seven Sacraments which are:
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Penance,
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
Anyone who has not already been baptized can receive Baptism in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be baptized,” (paragraph 1246). There are no age restrictions for baptism, you cannot be too old or too young to be baptized (About Catholics, 2013). Children receive baptism to remove original sin, but also usually as it is a family tradition in which to include the new child into faith of the family.
Anyone can perform a baptism, however this is typically done only in extreme cases in which someone’s life is in danger. The Catholic Church has bishops, priests, and sometimes deacons that can perform a baptism. A bishop is the ordinary minister for Confirmation, but can give permission to a priest to do a Confirmation (a priest does not have the authority to do a confirmation without the permission of his bishop). Priests do have the authority to do baptisms without the permission of the bishop and sometimes delegate the responsibility to a deacon if one is available (About Catholics, 2013). There are extreme cases when even an unbaptized person can baptize someone, for example when someone is badly injured and close to death, they may wish to be baptised. All that is required is water and the words of the Holy Trinity to be spoken "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (About Catholics, 2013).
The purpose of baptism is:
1. It forgives all sins that may have been committed prior to a person’s baptism including original sin, mortal sins, and venial sins, and it relieves the punishment for those sins.
2. It gives the newly baptised person new life in the eyes of God.
3. It welcomes the person into Christs family and into the Church, which is the body of Christ.
4. Baptism leaves a spiritual mark of belonging to Christ on the soul.
Godparents for Catholic Baptism are like sponsors for Confirmation. However, they take on a different role since usually only children have godparents for baptism. Their role is to take over or assist in the faith development of the person being baptized in the event that his/her parents cannot or if they neglect the child. This fulfils the baptismal promise of being raised in the Catholic faith.
Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (from Vatican, 2013):
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water
in the word."
1214 This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to
"plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature."
1215 This sacrament is also called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," for it signifies and actually
brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one "can enter the kingdom of God."
1216 "This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding. . . ." Having received in Baptism the Word, "the true light that enlightens every man," the person baptized has been "enlightened," he becomes a "son of light," indeed, he becomes "light" himself:
Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift....We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.
Read more at:
Catholic Australia- http://www.catholicaustralia.com.au/page.php?pg=sacraments-baptismal-ceremony
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, 2013: http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Sacraments/Baptism
Baptism, Vatican, 2013 : http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3G.HTM
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
About Catholics, 2013: http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-guide-to-catholic-baptism/
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Penance,
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
Anyone who has not already been baptized can receive Baptism in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be baptized,” (paragraph 1246). There are no age restrictions for baptism, you cannot be too old or too young to be baptized (About Catholics, 2013). Children receive baptism to remove original sin, but also usually as it is a family tradition in which to include the new child into faith of the family.
Anyone can perform a baptism, however this is typically done only in extreme cases in which someone’s life is in danger. The Catholic Church has bishops, priests, and sometimes deacons that can perform a baptism. A bishop is the ordinary minister for Confirmation, but can give permission to a priest to do a Confirmation (a priest does not have the authority to do a confirmation without the permission of his bishop). Priests do have the authority to do baptisms without the permission of the bishop and sometimes delegate the responsibility to a deacon if one is available (About Catholics, 2013). There are extreme cases when even an unbaptized person can baptize someone, for example when someone is badly injured and close to death, they may wish to be baptised. All that is required is water and the words of the Holy Trinity to be spoken "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (About Catholics, 2013).
The purpose of baptism is:
1. It forgives all sins that may have been committed prior to a person’s baptism including original sin, mortal sins, and venial sins, and it relieves the punishment for those sins.
2. It gives the newly baptised person new life in the eyes of God.
3. It welcomes the person into Christs family and into the Church, which is the body of Christ.
4. Baptism leaves a spiritual mark of belonging to Christ on the soul.
Godparents for Catholic Baptism are like sponsors for Confirmation. However, they take on a different role since usually only children have godparents for baptism. Their role is to take over or assist in the faith development of the person being baptized in the event that his/her parents cannot or if they neglect the child. This fulfils the baptismal promise of being raised in the Catholic faith.
Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (from Vatican, 2013):
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water
in the word."
1214 This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to
"plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature."
1215 This sacrament is also called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," for it signifies and actually
brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one "can enter the kingdom of God."
1216 "This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding. . . ." Having received in Baptism the Word, "the true light that enlightens every man," the person baptized has been "enlightened," he becomes a "son of light," indeed, he becomes "light" himself:
Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift....We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.
Read more at:
Catholic Australia- http://www.catholicaustralia.com.au/page.php?pg=sacraments-baptismal-ceremony
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, 2013: http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Sacraments/Baptism
Baptism, Vatican, 2013 : http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3G.HTM
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
About Catholics, 2013: http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-guide-to-catholic-baptism/