Chapter VI. On Ceremonies in the Administration of Baptism

I say. § 1. Baptism is to be conferred solemnly, with the prescription of Can. 759 being saved (Can. 755).

Excepting the case of necessity or of another grave cause, it is mortal sin to omit all the ceremonies of Baptism or some notable one from them, because the matter of the precept is grave, at least by reason of the end. Hence:

1st. It is mortal sin to omit the anointing of chrism or of the oil of catechumens; because these anointings have a special signification, just as the mixing of water into wine in the celebration of Mass.

2nd. It is mortal sin to baptize solemnly with non-consecrated water, because an omission of this kind in the ceremonies of Baptism is reputed very grave. But otherwise it must be said if there is question of private Baptism.

3rd. It is mortal sin to baptize outside the church without necessity or another great inconvenience. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, nn. 141, 142 and seq. - Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, nn. 234 and seq. - Lacroix, n. 263.

4th. § 1. It is fitting both that the priest who is about to baptize adults, and that the adults themselves who are healthy, be fasting.

§ 2. Unless grave and urgent causes stand in the way, the baptized adult is immediately to assist at the Sacrifice of Mass and receive holy Communion (Can. 753).

5th. § 1. In danger of death it is licit to confer baptism privately; and, if it is conferred by a minister who is neither priest nor deacon, only those things are to be placed which are necessary for the validity of baptism; if by a priest or deacon, the ceremonies which follow baptism are also to be observed, if time is present.

§ 2. Outside danger of death, the local Ordinary cannot permit private baptism unless there is question of heretics who at adult age are baptized under condition.

§ 3. But ceremonies which for any reason have been omitted in the conferral of baptism are to be supplied as soon as possible in the church, unless in the case of which in § 2 (Can. 759).

6th. § 1. But in private homes solemn baptism must not be administered, except in these circumstances:

1st. If those to be baptized are children or grandchildren of those who actually hold the supreme rule of peoples or have the right of succeeding to the throne, as often as these have duly requested it;

2nd. If the local Ordinary, according to his prudent judgment and conscience, for a just and reasonable cause, in some extraordinary case, has judged that this is to be granted.

§ 2. In the mentioned cases baptism is to be conferred in the chapel of the home, or at least in another decent place, and with baptismal water blessed in the customary manner (Can. 776).¹

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1127, n. 85.

Question 1. Can Baptism be conferred in the sacristy, especially where custom so bears?

Resp. Negatively. The proper place for administering solemn Baptism is the baptistery in a church or public oratory (Can. 773).¹

§ 1. Every parish church, any contrary statute or privilege or custom being revoked and reproved, is to have a baptismal font, with the legitimate cumulative right already acquired for other churches being saved.

§ 2. The local Ordinary can, for the convenience of the faithful, permit or command that a baptismal font be placed also in another church or public oratory within the boundaries of the parish (Can. 774).

If the one to be baptized, because of the distance of places or other circumstances, cannot without grave inconvenience or danger approach or be transferred to the parish church, or to another church which enjoys the right of a font, solemn Baptism can and must be conferred by the parish priest in the nearest church or public oratory within the boundaries of the parish, even though this lacks a baptismal font (Can. 775).

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1141, n. 103.

Question 2. How must a priest conduct himself when the little ones to be baptized are very distant from the church?

Resp. Concerning this matter the Fathers of Baltimore establish thus: "Those who live in the country or in villages and small towns where there is no church are to bring infants to the nearer church or station, in which the Holy Sacrifice is customarily done, to be baptized. But if on account of the inclemency of the air, the difficulty of the journey, the poverty of the parents, or other grave causes this cannot be done, then we leave it to the prudence and conscience of the missionary that he baptize them at home with all the ceremonies of the Church." - This last, in some dioceses among us, is limited to the case in which the little ones are distant from the church by a space of three miles. - Cf. Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, n. 237. - Ninth Diocesan Synod of Baltimore, n. xxxviii, p. 39.

Question 3. How must the prohibition of using old chrism, or chrism of another year, be understood?

Resp. It must be taken rigorously when new chrism is had; therefore a priest would sin gravely who, the recent chrism having been disregarded, used old chrism. - Cf. Can. 734, § 1, above n. 650. From the responses of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, 7 Dec. 1844, 13 April 1874, the consecration of baptismal water regularly must be done twice in the year, that is, on Holy Saturday and on the vigil of Pentecost, and indeed with oils blessed on Thursday in the Supper of the Lord. But if the sacred oils cannot be obtained so quickly, on Holy Saturday the parish priest "is to bless the font without the infusion of the sacred oils, which will be done privately at a suitable time; unless he must baptize someone, for then in the solemn blessing let the old oils be infused." S. R. C., 31 Jan. 1896, in Annecy. On the vigil of Pentecost the baptismal font is to be blessed with the new oils. Cf. Acta S. Sedis, vol. 28, p. 504. - Lehmkuhl, n. 60. - Génicot, n. 134.

Question 4. Is it licit to employ the vernacular language in the administration of Baptism?

Resp. "Affirmatively, as regards the questions and responses of the godfather or godmother, if the same are first recited by the parish priest in the Latin speech." Thus the Sacred Congregation of Rites, 5 March 1904.

Question 5. Whether it is licit, among us, to use the shorter form established for little ones whenever Baptism is to be conferred upon adults?

Resp. § 2. The local Ordinary can for a grave and reasonable cause grant that the ceremonies prescribed for the baptism of infants be employed in the baptism of adults (Can. 755).

Question 6. Can a priest comply with parents or friends asking that some fabulous or ridiculous name be imposed on the one to be baptized?

Resp. Let parish priests take care that a Christian name be imposed on him who is baptized; but if they cannot obtain this, let them add to the name imposed by the parents the name of some Saint and write both names in the book of the baptized (Can. 761).

Question 7. Must abjuration always be made by new converts and how must one proceed in it?

Resp. Concerning this matter the Instruction of the Congregation of the Holy Office has it thus: "In the conversion of heretics, inquiry must first be made concerning the validity of Baptism received in heresy. Therefore, after a diligent examination has been instituted, if it has been found that no Baptism was conferred or that it was conferred nullly, they will have to be baptized absolutely. But if, the investigation having been completed, a probable doubt concerning the validity of Baptism still remains, then it is repeated under condition, according to the order of the Baptism of Adults. Finally, if it has been established that it was valid, they are to be received only to abjuration or profession of faith. Therefore a threefold method of proceeding is distinguished in reconciling heretics:

I. "If Baptism is conferred absolutely, no abjuration follows, nor absolution, because the sacrament of regeneration washes away all things.

II. "If Baptism is to be repeated under condition, it will be necessary to proceed in this order: 1st. abjuration, or profession of faith; 2nd. conditional Baptism; 3rd. sacramental confession with conditional absolution.

III. "Finally, when Baptism has been judged valid, only the abjuration or profession of faith is received, which absolution from censures follows." - Cf. Excerpts from the Roman Ritual, ed. year 1878, p. 270. - Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, Appendix vii, p. 291. - Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, n. 122. - Kenrick, tract. 15, nn. 33 and seq.

Note. - To certain Ordinaries, very recently, there has been granted for a quinquennium the faculty of using a shorter form in the baptism of adults, and of permitting it to all their presbyters. That formula sounds thus:

Priest: What do you ask from the Church of God?

Resp. Faith.

P. Do you believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?

R. I believe.

P. Do you also believe in Jesus Christ, etc.?

R. I believe.

P. Do you also believe in the Holy Spirit, etc.?

R. I believe.

P. Do you wish to be baptized, if you have not been validly baptized?

R. I wish.

P. N. N., if you are not baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Question 8. By what rite must offspring be baptized?

Resp. § 1. Offspring must be baptized by the rite of the parents.

§ 2. If one of the parents belongs to the Latin rite, the other to an eastern rite, the offspring is to be baptized by the rite of the father, unless something else has been provided by special law.

§ 3. If only one is Catholic, the offspring is to be baptized by the rite of this one (Can. 756).

Question 9. Are ceremonies to be supplied in Baptism repeated under condition?

Resp. When baptism is repeated under condition, the ceremonies, if indeed they were omitted in the earlier baptism, are to be supplied, with the prescription of can. 759, § 3, being saved; but if they were employed in the earlier baptism, they can be repeated in the other or omitted (Can. 760).

Question 10. What is the law concerning the inscribing of names, etc., of the baptized?

Resp. § 1. Parish priests must diligently and without any delay enter the names of the baptized, mention having been made of the minister, parents, and sponsors, of the place and day of conferred baptism, in the baptismal book.

§ 2. But where there is question of illegitimate children, the mother's name is to be inserted if her maternity is publicly established, or if she herself of her own accord asks this in writing or before two witnesses; likewise the name of the father, provided that he himself of his own accord requires this from the parish priest either in writing or before two witnesses, or is known from a public authentic document; in the other cases the one born is to be inscribed as the child of an unknown father or of unknown parents (Can. 777).¹

If baptism was administered neither by the proper parish priest nor in his presence, the minister is to make the proper parish priest by reason of domicile of the baptized person certain concerning the baptism itself conferred as soon as possible (Can. 778).

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1106, n. 48.

Question 11. At what time must Baptism be administered?

Resp. Private Baptism, when necessity urges, is to be administered at any time and place (Can. 771).

Even solemn baptism can be administered on any day; yet it is fitting that the baptism of adults, according to the most ancient rite of the Church, be conferred, if it can conveniently be done, on the vigil of Easter and Pentecost, especially in metropolitan or cathedral churches (Can. 772).

Note. - For proving conferred baptism, if prejudice is done to no one, one witness above every exception suffices, or the oath of the baptized person himself, if he received baptism at adult age (Can. 779).