Chapter IV: On the Ceremonies of Baptism

1480. Things to be noted beforehand. 1. "Private Baptism is called that in which no other ceremony prescribed by the Ritual is employed except the washing of the one to be baptized, with the words of the form pronounced, namely those things which by divine law are necessary for Baptism. But it is judged solemn when those rites and ceremonies are employed which the Roman Ritual records as having been received and approved from Apostolic and most ancient tradition, and as pertaining to its solemnity."²

2. It was asked: "Whether in places where there is no parochial church, nor baptismal font, Baptism can be conferred with all the solemnities and ceremonies customary in the Church?" And by a Decree of the HOLY OFFICE, on February 29, 1663, it was prescribed to missionaries that they can, indeed are held to, use those ceremonies which they can use. "Wherefore it is at once clear that private Baptism is not to be substituted for solemn Baptism because some ceremony cannot be done; for, this being omitted, the others are to be fulfilled."³

These things having been premised, we shall treat: 1. of the place and time of solemn Baptism; 2. of sponsors; 3. of the accessory rites of Baptism.

1481. I. The place of solemn Baptism regularly cannot be except a church in which a sacred font is found constituted. This is established from the Roman Ritual and from the Decree of Clement V in the Council of Vienne. Whence St. Alphonsus says: "It is mortal to baptize outside the church without necessity."⁴

We have said regularly; for there is excepted: 1. The case of necessity, which is judged present not only when danger of death is imminent for the infant, but also when the infant cannot be carried into the church without danger of infamy of the parents, or of another grave harm: in which case, from at least the permission of the Bishop, Croix with others affirms that Baptism can be conferred solemnly at home.⁵ 2. The privilege of Kings and Princes, whose sons and descendants it is licit to baptize solemnly in their chapels. But by the name of Princes, according to the more probable opinion, magnates are not to be understood, even those having temporal jurisdiction, but only those who possess absolute authority. "Yet, I think," says St. Alphonsus,⁶ "that where the custom has been introduced of baptizing the sons of magnates at home, it is not easily to be disapproved, as Croix says."

1482. II. Formerly the TIME of solemn Baptism was assigned twice in the year, namely on the Vigil of Easter and on the Vigil of Pentecost. And this custom indeed still flourishes at Rome for the Baptism of Hebrews or other converted unbelievers; but elsewhere it has now gone into desuetude.

SPONSORS are as it were spiritual parents, who receive the baptized person from the sacred font into their care.⁷

1483. Principles. I. In SOLEMN Baptism at least one sponsor is to be employed, and indeed under grave obligation, whether this is a man or a woman; nor can more than TWO be licitly employed. Thus the Council of Trent established (sess. 24, de ref. matr., cap. 2). "But the presence of sponsors in Baptism, from most ancient tradition, has always been held as a principal ceremony in the Church of Christ, so that the signification of spiritual generation might be preserved through sponsors, and the religious education of the child might be placed in safety by their pledge."⁸

We have said: 1. in solemn Baptism; for although a sponsor can be employed, indeed is laudably employed, in private Baptism, nevertheless he is licitly omitted.⁹ 2. Whether man or woman: these are the words of Trent, from which it is more probably gathered that, if there is only one sponsor or one sponsa, a male or a female can be employed, of whatever sex the one to be baptized may be. 3. Nor can more than two be licitly employed, namely one man and one woman, lest relationships be multiplied.

Hence: 1. A pastor who admits no sponsor, or more than two sponsors, sins gravely; for he transgresses the precept of the Church imposed under grave obligation. The sponsor and sponsa cannot be two males or two females, although it is controverted whether this would be mortal or only venial. Yet it seems more truly to St. Alphonsus to be mortal, if the sponsors or sponsae differ in sex from the one to be baptized, because thus relationships would be multiplied, contrary to the intention of the Council of Trent.¹⁰

2. The carelessness of parents is to be disapproved, who entrust the office of sponsor not to chosen and suitable persons, but to anyone whoever first comes, even though they know for certain that he is never again going to visit his spiritual son.¹¹

3. It is most fitting that sponsors be at least at the age of puberty and marked by the Sacrament of Confirmation. ROMAN RITUAL.

1484. II. That someone VALIDLY be sponsor and contract the obligations annexed to the office of sponsor, the following conditions are required: 1. That he have the use of reason and be baptized. 2. That he have the intention of carrying out that office. Whence the laws require: 3. That he be designated by the parents, or at least by the pastor, if the parents had not designated him; but it is not licit for the pastor, unless a grave reason is present, concerning which see n. 1486, to change the sponsor designated by the parents. 4. That in Baptism itself, by himself or by a proxy, he physically hold or touch the infant while he is baptized, or immediately lift or receive him from the sacred font, or from the hands of the one baptizing.¹²

1485. III. From the receiving of the baptized person from the sacred font there arises the office of pedagogue and spiritual relationship. 1. The OFFICE OF PEDAGOGUE; for sponsors are held to have care concerning the baptized person, that is, to instruct him concerning faith and morals. Yet this obligation presses only when true necessity demands it, for example in the case in which the baptized were being nourished among unbelievers. "But when they are nourished among Catholic Christians," says St. Thomas,¹³ "they can sufficiently be excused from this care, presuming that they are diligently instructed by their own parents. Yet if in any way they should perceive the contrary, they would be held, according to the manner, to expend care upon the salvation of their spiritual children." 2. SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP, which arises between those lifting, the sponsor and sponsa, and the baptized person, and his father and mother, and between the one baptizing and the baptized person and the father and mother of the baptized.¹⁴ This relationship is an impediment diriment of matrimony, concerning which there will be speech in the Treatise on Matrimony, n. 2021 seq.

1486. It is asked: Who are PROHIBITED from being sponsors?

Resp. Illicitly, although validly, sponsors are: 1. Apostates, heretics, publicly excommunicated persons, and all those infamous from crimes. 2. Those ignorant of the rudiments of faith; for no one becomes a teacher unless he first has been a disciple. 3. Monks, Nuns, and all Regulars separated from the world, unless Regulars have been made Bishops. 4. Spouses with respect to spouses, and parents with respect to children; for, with respect to those of others, at least from today's custom, both spouses can be admitted.¹⁵ And "nothing prevents parents, in a case of necessity, from performing the place of sponsors, materially holding their infants, and responding for them to the one baptizing, yet apart from the prerogative of true and properly so-called sponsorship, namely apart from the necessity of undergoing the burdens which an office of this kind carries with itself, of contracting the impediment of spiritual relationship prohibiting the use of matrimony."¹⁶

Note. From the ROMAN RITUAL public sinners must be kept from the office of sponsor. "But it is necessary: 1. that they truly be such, publicly known; 2. that the rejection be done prudently, for example by taking care beforehand in good ways that they do not present themselves, or by calling them to a secret conversation and saying that the Church cannot admit them as sponsors, although they can assist as witnesses; but let the motive never be publicly indicated, and often not even privately, to avoid quarrels; and, if another sponsor cannot conveniently be called, let Baptism be conferred without a sponsor; 3. that the rejection can be carried out in such a way that greater evils are not provoked; concerning which in our cities there will scarcely ever be no reason for fear"¹⁷ (cf. n. 1294).

PARTICULAR STATUTES are to be observed, where they are in force, which remove certain others from the office of sponsor, for example secular clerics, lay persons not fulfilling the precept of annual confession or Easter Communion, etc. In involved cases, the Bishop is to be consulted, as far as this can be done.¹⁸

1487. I. The ACCESSORY rites or Ceremonies preceding, accompanying, or following Baptism must be employed under grave precept. The reason is that they are prescribed by the Roman Ritual for a grave end, and have special fruits, so that it is mortal, without grave cause, to omit all the ceremonies of Baptism, or some notable one from among them, especially the use of consecrated water, the anointing of the oil of catechumens, and of chrism.¹⁹ Hence Laymann judges that magnates sin gravely who, outside necessity, have their sons baptized at home, or privately in church, so that afterwards, with pomp, the ceremonies may be completed in church after the sponsors have arrived; who, moreover, Baptism having already been conferred before, are not truly made sponsors.²⁰ (Cf. n. 2021 seq.)

1488. II. When the ceremonies have been omitted on account of necessity or negligence, they are to be SUPPLIED solemnly, and indeed under grave obligation, in church. This is established from the Roman Ritual, title Order of supplying omitted things, and from the common opinion. Yet this is not the custom in converted heretics, lest the people think that we disapprove their Baptism, even if rightly conferred. But whether the ceremonies are to be repeated when Baptism solemnly conferred is discovered to be invalid is controverted. Yet it is safer to repeat them, and in practice it is advised, unless danger of scandal or infamy obstructs.²¹

Various decrees of the HOLY SEE pertain here:

1. To the question: "Whether, in the administration of Baptism, the questions to which the sponsor of the infant ought to respond can be made in the vernacular tongue whenever the said sponsor is ignorant of Latin; or whether at least the question made in Latin, as the Ritual bears, can immediately be translated into the common tongue?" The S. Rit. C., August 31, 1867, in Ambianen., responded: Negatively to each, according to the Decree in Molinen., of September 12, 1847:²² "For the rest, nothing obstructs that in the vernacular tongue all those things which pertain to the Sacrament of Baptism itself be explained." Thus the S. C. DE PROP. FIDE to the Vicar Apostolic of Siam, April 30, 1808.²³

2. If a priest baptizes, in a case of necessity, outside the church, he ought to omit all ceremonies which precede Baptism, even if the infant seems about to live so long. But Baptism having been conferred as above, he ought to anoint him on the crown with chrism if he has it, impose the white garment, and provide the lighted candle. But when the infant has recovered, he is to be presented in church; and there the omitted ceremonies which precede Baptism are to be supplied. Thus the S. Rit. C., September 23, 1820, in Colagurit.²⁴

3. It was asked: 1. What ceremonies are to be supplied over a Catholic adult: those which in the Ritual are assigned for the Baptism of adults, or for the Baptism of infants? 2. What are to be observed for an adult heretic converted to the Catholic Faith, when he is to be baptized under condition, on account of a founded doubt concerning the validity of Baptism? And the S. Rit. C. responded (August 27, 1836, in Rhedonen., under 3 and 4): To 1. "Let the ceremonies and prayers be observed which in the Ritual are assigned for the Baptism of infants." To 2. "Insofar as the ceremonies are to be supplied, and are believed to be supplied, as in doubt, those are to be supplied which are prescribed for the Baptism of adults."²⁵

"For ENGLAND faculty was given of conferring Baptism in this case without ceremonies, which for AMERICA, when the Bishops asked in the year 1866, was denied. Yet in a particular case, from a grave cause, it seems that the Bishop can dispense so that it is licit to omit the ceremonies, as you may conjecture from the note itself which is added in the Collection of Gardellini to the decree just cited in Rhedon."²⁶

4. To the question of the Bishop of Tonkin: "Whether in these places, where there is no common church or oratory, it is licit for a priest solemnly, that is, with all

the ceremonies and prayers prescribed in the Roman Ritual employed, to baptize the children of Christians in their private homes?" The S. C. Prop., on January 21, 1789, responded: Not only that it is LICIT, but that he MUST.¹

1489. Questions. Q. 1. How is the prohibition of using OLD CHRISM, or chrism of another year, to be understood?

Resp. It is to be taken strictly when new chrism is had. Therefore a priest would sin gravely who, new chrism having been set aside, should use old. But it is licit, whether in Baptism itself or in the blessing of the Font to be carried out on Holy Saturday, to use chrism of the preceding year, when fresh chrism cannot be had. Nor is the ceremony prescribed by the Roman Ritual to be deferred until new oils are received. From the response of the S. R. C. in Oriolen., September 23, 1837² (cf. n. 545, end).

Q. 2. What must be noted concerning the imposition of the NAME?

Resp. Generally a name must be imposed: except if danger of death presses and there is doubt concerning the sex. But the ROMAN RITUAL admonishes: "Let the pastor take care that obscene, fabulous, or ridiculous names, or names of empty gods, or of impious pagan men, not be imposed, but rather, as far as can be done, names of Saints." Whence it is only prohibited to impose obscene names, etc., and it is advised to impose names of Saints. But names imposed in Baptism can licitly be changed in Confirmation, indeed also at other times, even by private authority.³

Q. 3. What ought the minister to do AFTER Baptism?

Resp. The pastor ought: "1. to note down in the Book the names of the baptized person and of his parents and sponsors; 2. to admonish the sponsors concerning the relationship contracted and their obligation; 3. to inculcate to mothers and nurses that they not lie down with infants, on account of danger of suffocation." Yet if "the bed is wide, the child inconsolable, who cannot otherwise be defended from cold, and the woman is accustomed in sleep to retain her own position and place," the danger seems absent.⁴

1490. Note. Concerning DESCRIPTION in the Book let these things also be noted: 1. Since the inscription of Baptism and of the names of the baptized and of the sponsors is necessary, for making faith concerning the existence of Baptism and the impediment of relationship, the pastor is held under grave obligation to write and preserve accurately the book of Baptisms. 2. If an infant has been validly baptized privately at home, or in church under condition on account of a positive doubt concerning the value of prior Baptism, it is better to note each diligently.⁵ 3. The inscription of an illegitimate infant must be cautious. Concerning an adulterine child there is no difficulty; for, unless it is established concerning the adultery by sentence of a judge, one must stand by the saying of law: "He is the father whom the nuptials demonstrate." If he was born from a merely civil marriage, let him be inscribed as such, without another note. If he is natural, acknowledged by no one, let him be inscribed as born from unknown parents; if he is acknowledged by the father before witnesses, let his declaration be inserted, to be subscribed by him and the witnesses; likewise concerning the mother, if she by herself, or in writing, or through suitable witnesses, acknowledges the infant as her own. Thus Martinet.⁶

When the baptism of illegitimate children is celebrated, the same solemnities in extrinsic apparatus as for legitimate children are not to be employed (S. C. Conc., July 31, 1867).⁷