In German

Holy Church desires, indeed commands her priests, to give some explanations to those betrothed before their entrance into marriage. I now wish to do this.

I. The chief purposes of marriage are the following: 1. the generation of children; 2. the mutual assistance of the spouses.

II. With regard to the first purpose, some things are permitted to married persons, but some things are also forbidden.

1. What is permitted to you? Permitted to you is: 1. the use of marriage, that is, the mutual union of bodies. In this union you should take care that the woman lies under the man on her back. One ought not depart from this manner without reason. Permitted to you is, 2. everything that appears necessary or serviceable for the use of marriage, such as, for example, the mutual touches of the spouses.

2. What is not permitted to you? 1. Under grave sin it is forbidden to you to use marriage in such a way that conception cannot take place. Therefore, if someone gives you the counsel to restrict the number of children, reject this counsel. Trust in divine Providence. If it grants you children, it will not fail to provide the necessary help for the education of the children. 2. It is unlawful to excite each other mutually to vehement carnal excitements, unless you are in a position and willing to have the marital act follow immediately.

III. The use of marriage is not only permitted, but even a duty, when one of the spouses asks for it in earnest. Therefore you may not refuse this duty, unless an important cause, for example an illness, excuses from it.

IV. When the dear God has blessed your marriage, then the wife must in a reasonable manner avoid everything that can inflict harm on the child in the mother's womb, such as, for example, very heavy labor, carrying heavy burdens, vehement internal and external agitations, such as excessive bicycling, vehement anger or pain. The husband too must take account of the circumstances of his wife, and now above all avoid everything that could cause the wife severe sorrow. Both, however, should beg the dear God very fervently that the child may come living into the world and receive holy Baptism.

V. Finally, some remarks concerning the Baptism of the child:

1. Must the child be baptized in every case? Yes, in every case, even in the case of a miscarriage or premature birth, that is, when the fruit is expelled from the mother's body before the time; even when the fruit still shows no human form; even when it gives no sign of life; even when the fruit is still enclosed in the egg membranes.

2. Who must baptize the child?

a) Under ordinary circumstances, when the child comes healthy into the world, it must be baptized in the church, and indeed by the priest.

b) If the child is in danger of life, it must be baptized by one of those present. Among those present, father and mother come in the last place. But if no one else is present, or the person who may be present does not know how to baptize, or for reasons of decency may not do it, then father or mother must baptize their own child in case of necessity. In a miscarriage the parents will probably most often have to fulfill this duty.

3. How must you baptize the child?

a) If Baptism can be conferred on the child on the head, then baptize it in the ordinary way. That is, first clean the head of all dirt, so that the baptismal water can certainly touch the skin. Then take ordinary water - best lukewarm, if it is at hand; blessed water is not necessary - pour some of this ordinary water over the head of the child and meanwhile speak the words: I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

If Baptism cannot be conferred immediately on the head, but can be conferred on another member, then it must be given on this member, whatever this member may be, for example on the fingers or on the toes, but always on the member that is the more excellent among those that can presently be reached.

But if afterward a more excellent member presents itself for Baptism, for example the hand or breast, then Baptism must be repeated on this member; and this repetition must happen again and again as often as a more important member is reached, for example on the breast, on the back, or on the shoulders, until finally Baptism can be given on the head. For only then, when one has rightly conferred Baptism on the cleaned head, is it certain that one of the Baptisms is valid.

If, after the first Baptism on the fingers or the toes, one can immediately confer Baptism on the head, then all members lying between these two must be passed over, and Baptism must be given immediately on the head.

As often as you cannot confer Baptism immediately on the head, but first on another member, then when you pour the baptismal water over the member in question, speak the words: If you can be baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. When you can finally baptize on the head, then say: If you are not baptized, I baptize you in the name, etc.¹

b) How must Baptism be conferred when the fruit still shows no human form or is still enclosed in the egg membranes?

Pay good attention here. For under these circumstances the father or the mother generally must perform the Baptism, so that the eternal salvation of the child can then depend on your manner of acting. An unbaptized child cannot enter heaven, and therefore every care is needed that the child be baptized, and indeed baptized as well as possible.

Therefore, if after marital union, even after the first days, something passes from the woman, of which you do not know what it means, you must not simply leave it unnoticed and remove it. Rather, you must investigate whether perhaps the fruit is hidden beneath it; for the fruit is enclosed in a little bladder, which is filled with a whitish fluid.

If you have found this bladder, place it on the table or on a plate, and set beside it a vessel with water. Then first pour water over the bladder,² and while doing so speak the words: If you can be baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father, etc. After that, hold the bladder somewhat slanting in the vessel of water, open it with the thumb and index finger of both hands so that the amniotic fluid can flow out of it, move the fruit a little back and forth in the water, and while doing so speak again: If you can be baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. After that, lift the fruit out of the water again.

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¹ Cf. p. 118, note.

² Cf. p. 119, note 1.