Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume III. On the Virtue of Chastity (1928) › Book II. On Conjugal Chastity in Particular › Appendix II. On Instruction in Relation to Chastity › II. Matrimonial Instruction

Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

In English

137.

The Church desires and even prescribes that the priest explain to those contemplating marriage certain truths, which are necessary for them to know. These truths are:

I. The principal ends of matrimony: 1. the procreation and education of children; 2. the mutual aid which husband and wife should give to each other.

II. With regard to the procreation of children it must be noted that some acts are lawful, while others are unlawful.

  1. Lawful are all those acts which are necessary or useful, such as mutual touches, to the generation of offspring. Here it is well to remark that the marital act, which is the union of the bodies of husband and wife, is to be performed with the wife lying in a reclining position and the husband superimposed. And this position should not be deviated from except for a legitimate reason.

  2. Unlawful are all those acts which frustrate the laws of nature in the generation of offspring. Therefore, the direct exclusion of offspring or the limiting of its number by positive means, by positively preventing the course of nature or in any way impeding the generation of children, is forbidden. Moreover, it is prohibited to mutually excite each other to violent motions of the flesh, unless husband and wife can and wish to complete the marital act.

III. The marital act is not only entirely lawful, but must be rendered whenever one of the parties reasonably and seriously asks it. It is sinful therefore to refuse the marriage debt, except for a grave reason, to the partner who so asks it, as in case of serious sickness.

IV. If God bless the union with offspring, the mother should carefully avoid everything that could in any way harm the fetus during the time of pregnancy, such as fatiguing labor, the lifting of heavy objects, grave internal or external emotions, violent anger or great sadness, immoderate use of the bicycle. The husband also should take into account the condition of his wife. During the time of pregnancy husband and wife should pray fervently to God that the child may be brought into the world safely and receive the grace of Baptism.

V. Some observations are in order here in regard to the Baptism of the child.

  1. It is necessary to baptize every living body that results from parturition. This holds good also when the fetus is prematurely expelled from the womb, even though a short time after conception.

  2. When the child is born normally and is in good health, it should be taken to the church and there baptized by the priest.

When the new-born child is in danger of death, it should be baptized by one of those present. In this case the father or mother must not presume to administer Baptism, unless there be no one else present who knows how to baptize and can do so becomingly. In case of miscarriage generally the parents ought to baptize their child.

  1. Manner of administering Baptism:

a) If the child can be baptized on the head, then the Sacrament is administered in the ordinary way, that is, you cleanse the head, so that the water may really touch it. Then you take ordinary water, Holy Water is not necessary for this purpose, pour it on the head of the child, at the same time pronouncing the words of Baptism: I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

If you cannot baptize the child on the head, then you must baptize it on another member of the body, however insignificant that member may be, even though it be only a digit of the hand or foot, choosing always the principal member that can be reached with the water.

If afterwards a more important member protrudes, for instance the hand or foot, then you will rebaptize the child, and you will repeat this as many times as a more important member becomes accessible, until you have been able to baptize the child on the head. Only when you have administered Baptism on the head of the child, can you be certain of having baptized validly.

Whenever you cannot baptize the child on the head, you should in the act of ablution use the following words: If you are capable of Baptism, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. If you finally succeed in baptizing on the head, say: If you are not baptized, I baptize thee, etc.1

b) If the fetus be devoid of human form or is still enveloped in its membranes, it is generally incumbent on the mother or father to administer the Baptism. This is a point of great importance, because the salvation of a soul may depend on it, since an unbaptized child cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore if the wife after intercourse with her husband is delivered of a substance of uncertain nature, she should not cast it away, since it may be a fetus. In this case place it on a table or on a plate and pour tepid water over it,2 saying at the same time: If you are capable of Baptism, I baptize thee, etc. Thereupon submerge the substance in a vessel of tepid water, rend the covering membrane with the fingers, and then moving the mass to and fro in the water, say at the same time the words: If you are capable of Baptism, I baptize thee, etc. After that withdraw the mass from the water.

1 Cf. p. 118, note.

2 Cf. p. 119, note 1.

In English