Chapter — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
Chapter III. On the Minister of Baptism
The minister of Baptism is one thing as ordinary, and another as extraordinary. Again, the extraordinary Minister is twofold: namely the Minister of solemnity and of necessity.
- Principles. - I. Every Priest, and only a Priest, by force of his ordination is the ordinary minister of Baptism. This is clear from various places of Canon Law and from the Council of Florence in the Decree of Union, as well as from the universal practice of the Church.
II. A Deacon is the extraordinary Minister and one of solemnity, that is, he is able to baptize solemnly, but only by delegation and for a grave cause. This is clear from Canon Law and from the Roman Pontifical, or from the instruction of the Bishop to Deacons in ordination, etc.
III. Any human being using reason, whether man or woman, whether Catholic or heretic, whether faithful or infidel, is an extraordinary Minister of Baptism, so that he can always validly baptize, and in necessity also licitly. This is drawn from the same sources as was said above in the first principle.
IV. Although every Priest by force of ordination has the power of baptizing, nevertheless he cannot licitly use it, even privately, outside a case of necessity, unless he has ordinary or delegated jurisdiction. This is clear from Canon Law and from the Roman Ritual on Baptism.
- Resolves. - 1. Neither a Parish Priest nor a Bishop, without commission, licitly baptizes outside his own diocese or parish, or strangers within it. And therefore parents also sin who, without the license of their Prelate, bring their offspring to another to be baptized, since they violate the right of the Parish Priest. - St. Ligorius, n. 114.
- Travelers or vagrants can be baptized in any Church which they have chosen. If by chance a woman gives birth in a village not her own, the offspring is to be baptized by the Parish Priest of that village, unless perhaps her own village is not far distant from there. - St. Ligorius, n. 114.
- According to the more common and more probable opinion, all can receive Baptism and the other Sacraments from the Parish Priest of the place where they have already contracted quasi-domicile 1. - St. Ligorius, n. 115.
1 This doctrine is to be held not merely as more probable, but as certain.
- But a stranger can be baptized with the license, either express or reasonably presumed, of his proper Priest. - St. Ligorius, n. 115.
- Religious can baptize in a case of necessity, or with the same license of the Parish Priest and of their own Superior, since this is prohibited by no law. - St. Ligorius, ibid.
- Questions. - QUESTION 1. What order must be observed among the Ministers of Baptism?
Resp. In the Roman Ritual it is thus had: If a Priest is present, he is to be preferred to a Deacon; a Deacon to a Subdeacon; a Cleric to a layman; and a man to a woman, unless, for the sake of modesty, it is becoming that a woman, rather than a man, baptize an infant not wholly brought forth, or unless the woman knew better the form and manner of baptizing. See St. Ligorius, n. 117.
QUESTION 2. Whether a layman sins mortally who, in necessity, with a Priest present, baptizes?
Resp. The answer is affirmative, with the common opinion. The reason is that then he truly usurps the right of the Priest, to whom by the power of Order the office of baptizing has been committed. Therefore the Priest himself also sins gravely if he yields the administration to a layman. - St. Ligorius, ibid.
- QUESTION 3. Whether a layman sins gravely by baptizing before a Deacon?
Resp. It is controverted. The first probable opinion affirms; because a Deacon by force of ordination is deputed to baptize, although from the actual practice of the Church he cannot baptize solemnly except for a grave cause and with the license of the Parish Priest.
The second equally probable opinion denies, because a Deacon baptizing in a case of necessity without commission does not baptize from office, but in the same way as an inferior Cleric or a layman. - St. Ligorius, ibid., says that both opinions are probable.