Chapter III. The Minister of Baptism

THE ordinary minister of solemn Baptism is a priest, but as it is a parochial sacrament, its lawful administration belongs exclusively to the parish priest or to the priest who has the cure of souls in the district in which the parents of the child have their domicile or quasi-domicile. Such priest may, of course, delegate authority to any other priest to baptize in his name; if there is reasonable cause, as in case of illness or constant occupation in hearing confessions, he may commission a deacon to give solemn Baptism. The children of strangers may be baptized by the parish priest of the place, unless they can easily and without delay be baptized by their own parish priest (Can. 738, sec. 2).

In case of necessity, when there is danger of someone dying without Baptism, anyone who has the use of reason may baptize without the ceremonies. In such cases of necessity the Ritual prescribes that a priest should be preferred to a deacon, a deacon to a subdeacon, a cleric to a lay person, a man to a woman, unless the latter be preferred for the sake of decency or because she is better acquainted with the method of valid Baptism. Those who have the cure of souls should take care that the faithful, especially midwives, are instructed in the right method of administering Baptism. The Ritual also prescribes that a father or mother should not baptize their own child except when it is in danger of death and no one else can do so (Can. 742).

The ceremonies prescribed for solemn Baptism are of grave obligation, so that it would be a mortal sin to omit without necessity a notable part of them, as, for example, the anointings or the. use of consecrated water. The child is anointed with the oil of catechumens before the actual baptizing, and afterward with the chrism, The holy oils should be kept carefully separated, and they should be renewed every year when the oils are consecrated Thursday. The baptismal by the Bishop on Maundy font, too, should be blessed on Holy Saturday with the oils consecrated on the previous Thursday. If they have not arrived in time the font should be blessed without them, and they should be added afterward, unless, in the meantime, someone has to be baptized, and then the old oils may be used in blessing the font. threaten to be exhausted, fresh, unblessed If the oils olive oil may be added, always in smaller quantity. The same rule may be followed with regard to the consecrated water in the font. The Ritual admonishes the parish priest to take care that as far as possible names of saints should be given in Baptism, so that, by their example, the baptized person may be moved to live holily, and that he may hope to enjoy their patronage. In solemn Baptism the Latin language should be used, but certain portions may also be rendered in the vernacular, according to the Ritual approved for use in the country.

According to the Code of Canon Law, the proper place for solemn Baptism is the baptistery in a church or public oratory. Every parish church should have a baptismal font. If, on account of distance or for other reasons, a person to be baptized cannot be brought to the parish church, the parish priest may and ought to administer solemn Baptism in the nearest church or public oratory. Solemn Baptism should not be administered in private houses unless those to be baptized are the children or grandchildren of those who hold the chief authority in the country, or have the right to succeed to the throne, and they make the request, or if the local Ordinary for good reason in some extraordinary case thinks that it should be allowed. In these cases Baptism should be given with consecrated water, and in the chapel or in some suitable room of the house (Can. 773-776).

Adults should be baptized according to the longer form in the Ritual unless the local Ordinary for a grave reason allow the form for the Baptism of infants to be used (Can. 755, sec. 2).

Those who have attained the use of reason are their own masters in the things of God, and are considered adults with reference to Baptism (Can. 745, sec. 2, 11).

Adults who have been converted from heresy and require conditional Baptism are to be baptized privately with holy water and without the ceremonies, according to the First Synod of Westminster (Can. 759, sec. 2).

In questions concerning Baptism, infants are those who have not attained the use of reason, had the use of reason sec, 2). and those who are reckoned never have as infants (Can. 745, Baptism; if they were used in the first E ‘they may be used or omitted in the second at the option of minister. This does not apply to conditional Baptism ministered to adult converts,